Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition
by INACTIVE -Midnight10Moon
Summary: You all know the story about Persona 5. But will everything be the same if Akira/Ren was a female? I think not. Everyone, meet Akano Kurusu, our protagonist in this story. The main story will be the same until the 6th Palace, which from then will be my touches though the story will be kinda the same. Persona 5 is owned by Atlus, I don't own it so I don't take credit for anything
1. Chapter 1 - Failed Escape

(This is a fan story of Persona 5. Everything belongs to Atlus, minus the Female Protagonist which is my creation. Also, Akechi's story will be changed a bit and the twins won't have a confidant in this, she is being replaced with a character that I think deserved a confidant. You will see who will represent the Strength Confidant. One last thing, I will be limiting Sae's cut-ins, she has before the end of her Palace, to important story events (her confidant rank ups are included), and gaining confidants.)

Chapter 1

Cops are downstairs! How did they get here? The sound of screams countered the noises of the casino games. Oh well, gotta do it. I jump from chandelier to chandelier as they look above me. With a smirk, I step into the light as they stare at me. "Someone's up there!" one of the voices come from below as one cop takes his walkie talkie. "Target in sight! We'll get her immediately!" they run towards the stairs and with a bigger smirk, I go back into the darkness. I look to the side and see a vent. Going to it, I pry it open, place the suitcase inside and closed it. I go back onto the chandelier after closing the vent again and slipping on of my gloves through the vent.

"Good now get running!"

"This is our only chance!"

"Stay calm! You can get away now!"

"We'll retrieve the briefcase on our end."

"...suspects...not...confirmed...hold...your...positions…"

"Hm…? What was that…?"

"Don't worry about us. Just concentrate on getting away!"

You got it. I begin to parkour my way to the back entrance on the lights.

"But I have to say, showing yourself above that crowd earlier was an excellent move. Nice work as always, Joker."

"I bet Skull wouldn't pull it off that smoothly."

I giggle at that last comment as I jumped on a platform that is curved and next to one made of hexagons. "There she is!" Oh shit, the feds found out my route. "Just run! Get out of there!" "Got it Oracle!" I jump on the hexagon platform until I reached a place where you can overview the casino.

"OK, the enemy's focus on her. Looks like the rest of us can slip away."

I run towards the stairs, that connect to overview with the casino until I saw security officers that transformed with beings with iron masks. Shadows. "Oracle, I need help!" I shouted as one jumped behind me.

"Take 'em down Joker!"

With a smirk, I jump into the air and flip onto the guy behind me and ripped his mask off. Blood splattered as I jumped away. It waddled a bit as it transformed into a thing with a bull's head and a tail.

"Comparing power levels… No threat. Get 'em Joker!"

This will be a breeze. "Persona!" Brave Blade. "Ravish them!" Yes! It was a critical hit, it's down! Hm, better save my SP and health just in case. I take out my gun and started shooting him until it disappeared.

"Good. You defeated it with ease."

"More of them?! Be careful!"

Just then three other shadows appeared. One came in for the attack but I swiftly dodged it. With a backflip, I jumped onto a platform. Knowing another platform is there, I jump on there. "Joker, behind you! Go through that door!" You got it Oracle. With a mini spin, I rush towards the door, locking it in the process. Don't want them to follow me. It was the stairs leading up. I have to get out of here.

"You should be able to get out that way! Hurry!"

"Dude, can she even hear us!?"

"Don't worry, I'm picking up everyone's voices. Just go, Joker!"

I run through many doors as I saw an officer running pass a glass window. He didn't see me since I ducked under the window.

"Where'd they go!? Damn it! I can't confirm the intruder's location."

That dumbass. I was right here and he was talking about me and my squad. Talk about a bad cop. I stand up but see another officer over this file cabinet. "You'll never get away if you just keep fighting. Hide in the shadows, and sneak past when you see an opening!" Sure can do. Thank god Mona taught me how to do this. There are two more file cabinets in front so I jump behind and to the other. "...Hey, are you sure she came in this way?" The guy in a suit ask and he nods. "Understood. I will continue the search!" He runs past me. "Now's your chance! Run for the stairs!" Oracle yells in my ear as I rush up the stairs.

"Feed me directions Oracle!" I call out and she starts giving me directions. I pass this security station place and I heard the dude say, "She's not alone. Find them and kill them all!". That just pisses me off. "Guards are on your tail Joker!" her panic voice made me smirk. I'll get out of here no problem. Running up more stairs was tiring but I hope the guards love the extra exercise. Going straight from a flight of stairs, there was a door in the hallway on my right.

She told me to go right and I run there. Busting down the door, I take a breather. There are no other doors and it leads to another overview of the casino, barricaded with a pretty fence. "Something wrong? The exit is up ahead." I look up and see a pretty window that I've seen at the front of the casino. "That's just how it is. After that commotion, the bottom floor is completely closed off. Hey, can you make it?" She asks and I smirked in reply. "Over there!"

Really? I hate these guards. I turn around and see three of them pointing guns at me. With a peace sign, I jump on the pretty fence and run across it, towards the window. They split up with one across from me, one going left, and one going right. I just giggle. "Peace out bitches!" I smirk and jump through the window. As I was in the air, glass shards were around me.

"Heh, what a show-off. You're so reckless, you know that?"

Of course, I do! And with that, I land on the ground feet first as the glass shards fell near my feet. I sigh in relief but it wasn't going to end this way. Lights shined in my direction and I saw a bunch of cops. Oh shit.

"Enemies here?"

"What's wrong?"

"These readings… it can't be!"

"What happened!? JOKER!"

"An ambush…?"

"Joker, can you handle this?"  
"JOKER!"

"Oh, no…!"

"CAPTURE HER!"

I begin running away from them. This is fucking nuts. Help me! Wait, a ladder! I jump for it as I start climbing. I make it to the top but there were more of them. "Oh shit." Were my last words before they hit my head with the handle of a shotgun. I fall to the concrete ground as the cops surrounded me and pinned me to the ground. "Suspect secured!" "Didn't expect to find some kid. You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out." No…

"Suspect confirmed, cuff her!" They begin to cuff me and I don't remember what happened after that.

"Guess the drug was too strong."

"Wake her up."

Water was splashed on me. I wake up to see that I'm cuffed to a chair in a room with two people.

"No dozing off."

What the actual fuck man? I have to get out of here. I begin to struggle but the cuffs won't come off.

"You still don't get it, do you?"

"Give it up!"

He kicks me, making me go down along with the chair. "Nngh…" I cough.

"Come on, cooperate. Or what, you want another shot?"

His foot was on my face, pushing it to the ground. Out of instinct, I looked for something. My eyes landed on a camera and I guess He realized what I was doing since he also looked at the camera.

"Huh? What about the camera?"

What do you think asshole?

"Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?"

No shit it won't. I'm just shocked that it was in this room. What the fuck am I going to do when you lot drugged me? I stay quiet.

"Didn't you hear my question? Answer!"

He lifted my head with my hair and threw it back on the ground. I would answer if it wasn't for you beating my ass. This bitch starts kicking my stomach, making me turn over, back on the ground. Out of nowhere, he grips onto my right boob. "Nngh!" I yelped and he gripped harder.

"To think a pretty young face would be the leader."

Motherfucker. He lets go and walks to his friend who gives him a clipboard.

"Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons… Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works. To think that all those crimes were led by a punk like this… And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it… huh?"

Fuck this guy. Wait, I was… enjoying it…? Everything is hazy… I can't remember…

"You should know your place."

And you should know yours. He signals his friend over to me. This guy literally lifts me up, uncuffs me, and throws me into a corner. This time, I got a good look at my legs. They were bruised to hell and back. Guess my face is like that too.

"Sign here. It's a confession under your name."

I swat it away. Fuck that bullshit, I ain't signing jack shit.

"I see… I need your hand to sign this but…"

His giant foot stomps on my leg, applying intense pressure on it. "Urgh!" I grunt in pain.

"I don't care if you end up losing a leg."

He gets off it as I take another look. Another bruise. Thanks, asshole. Reluctantly, I take the clipboard and he hands me a pen. I reach out for it but he holds on.

"Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece. We're going to make you understand… One must pay full responsibility for your actions…"

The guy lets go and I look over the paper on the clipboard. It reads,

'I, _ _, confess to doing the crimes above. As the leader of the Phantom Thieves, this is what I confess.'

I guess this black spot is where I sign? OK…

'I, _Akano_ _Kurusu_, confess to doing the crimes above. As the leader of the Phantom Thieves, this is what I confess.'

And with that, I just signed a confession that I am the leader of the Phantom Thieves. Now, I just have to await death or lifelong imprisonment. I have no say in this matter.

~Timeskip~

A lady walks in. I think I remember her… Sae Niijima, right? "...I didn't expect it'd be you." Her voice was calming, I think I can trust her. "You'll be answering my questions this time, OK Akano?" Sae's eyes darts to one of the syringes on the ground. "Those bastards… Can you hear me? It seems you've been through a lot." She tries to gain my attention and I try to give it to her. "Almost anything can happen in here… and I can't stop them." Sae pauses to allow me time to focus. "That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time either."

Finally, I'm able to focus on Sae. "What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident? I didn't think it was a plan from the get-go, but I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution. It was because I couldn't figure out the motive behind it." I think I should talk now. "Heh, of course, you couldn't…" "Why did you giggle?" "Because it should be obvious that you couldn't. I haven't laughed in a while, feels nice." I explain as she gives me a pitiful look.

"True. There's no way I could be convinced of such a… 'world' just by reading the reports. It seems you're coherent. When and where did you find out about that world? How is it possible to steal another's heart? Now, tell me your account of everything… start from the very beginning." I don't know why but, I have a feeling I should tell her. Just then I'm in a black room with the angelic song in the background. A blue butterfly flies around too.

"...You are held captive. A prisoner of fate to a future sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game... your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you… I beg you. Please overcome this game… and save the world… the key to victory lies in the memories of your bonds - the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day… when the game started half a year ago… for the sake of your world's future… as well as your own… you must remember…" Just then everything went white.

**I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Now, this is my first story I'm doing that I'm publishing on here. I'm probably gonna branch off to Wattpad too but now, I'm just testing this website for the time being. I will be doing other projects other than this one and they will revolve around Persona 3-5 as well as Danganronpa (mainly Trigger Happy Havoc but in the future, I may do Goodbye Despair, Ultra Despair Girls, and V3 Killing Harmony but I don't know. Anyway, I hope you guys have a lovely day and I'll see you guys in my next update. Bye-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Let's Start The Game

Chapter 2

4/9

I open my eyes and hear a train announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop of this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines. The doors to your left will open."

A horn blares as I recall the scene that sent me here to start with. A girl was being manhandled by a drunk guy. She was in tears and struggling as her life depended on it. I can't just let this be. I grabbed the drunk man's shoulder and gave a slight push away. He suddenly fell and the woman looked on in horror. In shock, I just look at my hands. "Damn brat! I'll sue!" The next moment was me getting arrested. My mind blanked after that. The only thing that burned into my brain was my parent's mortified faces. They believed I did it.

I return to me on the train by overhearing girls having a loud conversation. Something about mental shutdowns and occult shit. I don't think I should worry about it. It doesn't relate to me. The train stops and I follow everyone off the train. It leads me to an open area within Shibuya. Holy shit, I hope I don't get lost. What was the name of the line I need to take? I took notes on my phone. Huh? What the fuck is the eyeball looking thing? Whatever it is, it's creepy as fuck. I tap on it as the logo just expands.

Just then, everyone stopped. There was nothing but silence. In the distance, there was a giant fire. I looked closer and saw that there was a woman in the fire. Then it changed to my face with yellow eyes. After that, everyone started moving again. OK, that was some weird shit. Looking back on my phone, it was back to normal. I swiped the eyeball-app to delete it. I opened my notes app and found out which line I needed to take. 'Yongan-Jaya'. I've heard about this place. Isn't it the backstreets? Either way, I finally found out where it was and took the train to go to Yongen-Jaya.

Time passed, and I made it to Yongen-Jaya station. Walking up, I opened my notes app again and read the place where it was. It was in a residential area, with the house belonging to a 'Sojiro Sakura'. Hmm, maybe I should ask that officer over there. "Um, excuse me, sir? Do you know where this house is?" I ask and I show him the note. "'Sojiro Sakura'? Just walk down here and take the second right. Right after the apartment with stairs. Is that all?" He seemed harsh while talking. I bow and followed the cop's directions.

On the way there, An old man was listening to the radio, something about the newer generation, I wasn't listening and he seemed pissed. A girl asked her mother about an accident that happened, but I pay no mind to it. I find a house that has the nameplate with 'Sakura' engraved on it. With no emotion, I press the doorbell which silence only followed. "Looks like no one's home…" I turn around and see a mailman

"Oh yeah... Sakura~San's usually at his cafe around this time. Well, Leblanc's in the back alley so I should make my other deliveries first... mmm, next I need to take this package too..." He trails off while reading his clipboard. Did he say, Leblanc? I go out of the residential area and find a cafe named Leblanc. It didn't take too long though. I enter and see an old couple at a booth, watching the news, and a man doing a crossword.

The news was as boring as ever so I didn't pay much attention to it. "How frightening." the old man said and I gasped. I looked at the T.V. and the title of the news was there. 'Bus Driver Psychotic Breakdown! Many Lives In Danger!'. Holy shit. "What could be going on? Didn't something like that happen the other day? " The old lady piped and that made me shocked. This is an occurring thing? Holy fuck... "Vertical is... the name for a shellfish used for farming pearls..." The man with the crossword thinks openly, "...Oh right. They did say it was today." He looks at me as the old couple leaves.

"... Four hours for just a single cup of joe. So you're Akano Kurusu huh? Red hair, waist-length hair, black eyes, soft face shape, glasses, are you Akano?" He had to mention my looks. I mean, he's not wrong but maybe he only got a description orally. Must be Sojiro Sakura. "Please take care of me." I bow at him and he seemed shocked at my gesture. "...Uh-huh. I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year. I was wondering what unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh? I guess that appearances don't matter in terms of actions." I know I look innocent and I have a criminal record, but I thought you knew that already.

"Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and-" Sojiro stops. Wait, the only reason I'm here is that my parents are friends with one of your regulars? This is the most bullshit reason to take me in. But at least I got accepted... "Well, not that that matters... Follow me." He walks upstairs and I follow. Am I living in an attic? Better be roomy and have that 'Britain' feel. Oh, you don't know? I lived in England for half my life, with my uncle (who was Chinese European) and my aunt (who was Japanese). I learned how to speak English, Chinese, and Greek there while also mostly influenced by Japanese culture and language.

Sojiro opens the door and reveals a big, rustic, dusty attic. Well, it does have a 'Britain' feel to it so I guess that's a plus. "This is your room. I at least got you sheets for your bed." He turns around and sees me gaping at the room. "You look like you want to say something..." Sojiro looks at me with a look saying, 'tell me now.', "It's bigger than I thought it was going to be..." I stop looking around the room and looked at Sojiro. "It's on you to clean up the rest. Anyway, I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." Well, I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'll do my own thing. "Yes, sir." I bow slightly as he nods.

"Now then... I got the gist of your situation." Oh god, another person that I did a stupid thing. Here we go. "You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, the sued you. Right?" I nod as Sojiro sighs. "That's what you got for sticking your nose in a matter of two adults. You did injure him, yeah? ...And now that you got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved. In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass." Yeah, yeah, same old story. I still find it unbelievable that my parents thought I was in the wrong. Now I got a parole officer named Kenny, who is a fuckboy, who is also a friend of my dad.

"It's best not to say anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted." "A whole year, huh? Government sure as hell fucked up my life. Even after this probation is over, I will only be a mailman." I chuckle as he looks at me with a pitiful look. "Just to keep you in the loop, you will be sent to juvie if you cause any problems. We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow as well." "Shujin?" Tilting my head, he sighs yet again, "Shujin Academy - the school you'll be attending. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know. What a waste of my Sunday" He drones on and leaves.

Thank God, I was getting tired of being reminded of that event. I just want to go to Europe and be with my aunt and uncle. Nothing good came from coming to Japan. Except for Akari and Akiro. Akari is my little sister and she is so cute. She has long black hair and black eyes, like me before I dyed my hair, and she was up to my hips in height. Akiro is a friend I was able to make here. We treat each other like brother and sister and Akari does the same. When the event was retold by the cops, they were in denial, saying I would never do that. They're the reason why I'm still here, what was upsetting was that they couldn't come to Shibuya with me.

But I guess I have to deal with it. Even though my future, reputation and, dreams were taken away from me, I guess I have to suck it up and deal with all this shit on my back. Gah! No time for thinking about this stuff. This room needs to be tidied up, and Casper ain't going to do it. Before that, I should get out of the Shujin Academy uniform before I get it ruined from all the dust and soot everywhere. Sojiro said my luggage arrived in the box in the room, that one? Meh, I'll find out. Opening the box, the first things that are made apparent is my clothes.

Rummaging through, I find a white knitted sweater, a plaid skirt, and black stockings. These are the clothes I got from a friend of mine from England, Nicole Everleigh, who wanted to be a fashion designer. She made these for me a month before I left, saying these clothes were made by her mother and the reason why she wanted to be a fashion designer. The next day she was put in the hospital. She had a disease called 'Friedreich's Ataxia' which was incurable, but manageable. She past away not too long after. She had long red hair that ended at the middle of her thighs, blue eyes that was bright as the sky, and would always wear a black ribbon in her hair, even if it was against school regulations. Nicole's explanation about it all was elaborate and out of the box. It was, 'I need it so I can have the strength to go on. A reminder of my future in the void'. I never understood it til now.

With a sad smile, I take it out, fold it, and put it back neatly. I am not getting these dirty. After five minutes of looking, I found my over-sized dark blue sweater, white high-waisted ripped jeans, and a white scarf. This may be boring but it suits me. I put them on and I spot a roll of thick black ribbon. What the fuck? I didn't pack that. Wait, black ribbon? No, can't think about it now. Should I do it? You know what, sure. I'll wear it everywhere. I look around and see a pair of scissors, trim it to the length of my forearm, and tied it in my hair as a half ponytail. Now let's get cleaning. No more thinking about the past, I have to get this year over and done with so that I can go back to England and live there.

I should start with mopping. There are a mop and bucket in the corner as well as some bleach that smells like ylang-ylang. It expires next year. Meh, good enough. With this, I start mopping up the floor until it shined and reflected my face. Wait, I have to move my box. Shit. Reluctantly, I lift the box and slipped it onto the bottom shelf. Holy fuck, that was heavy. I look around and the bed caught my eyes. It was also dusty as hell. With a sigh, I walk up to it while gasping on a duster on the side. I used it to dust the bed until it showed clear white sheets. The windows are filled with soot, guess I have to dust those too. I don't know how long this took but the sun had already set. At least it looks better than before.

"What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here but I didn't think you were cleaning." I turn around to see Sojiro there. "Actually, the place doesn't look too bad." he goes on about how I should go to bed and leaves. It is late. Even though it's Sunday tomorrow, my schedule is full. I really need to make a good impression on the school and the way to a first impression is by looking awake and focused. Now, where're my pajamas? Wait, it's in the box... I have to pull it out again? Shit, it's heavy. With a sigh, I pull it out and start looking through it. Finally, I found it. It was a pink and light blue ombre nightie.

I take my normal clothes off and replace it with the nightie. The nightie had long sleeves, ended above my knees with lace at the bottom and the collar was a white Peter Pan type. With that, I flop on the bed. Tons of thoughts fly through my head. Arrest... Trial... Criminal record... Flashes of that day go through my mind as well as his words. "Damn brat! I'll sue!" Why did this happen to me? Nicole, I'm sorry that you're seeing me like this. I'm weak. I'm hurt. I'm... broken.

*BZZZT. BZZZZZZZZT. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT.*

Huh? My phone? I reach out towards it and turn it on. Wait, what! Why is that eyeball thing on there? Didn't I delete it!? Well, I don't care. I've got more important things to think about. I'll delete it again and again if I have too. My mind trickles back to that day. I just finished a late meeting with the music club and was on my way home. I wasn't in uniform since, after club meetings, I change into normal clothes so I don't have to worry about it when I get home. I was just two blocks away too when I heard screaming. Rushing towards the scene, I see a man forcing himself on a woman. "Just get in the car!" The man looked drunk, "Stop it!" The woman was fighting as much as she could. I walk in its direction more.

"How dare you cross me!"

"Stop it! Let me go! No..."

"Don't give me that shit..."

"Ow! P-Please, stop...!"

She's in danger... I can't let this go on. With determination in my eyes, I dart closer to them.

"Tch... what a waste of time. You think you're worth causing me trouble? Huh?"

"I-I'll call the police!"

"Heh, call them if you want! The police are my bitches. THey're not gonna take you seriously."

"No... stop...!"

Just then, sirens start flaring off and the man looked annoyed.

"Someone called the cops, huh? Get in the car! Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country!" He turns around and sees me. I put my guard up just in case he tries something.

"...What're you looking at? Get outta my face! This ain't a show. Get lost, kid. See? This is all because you're so goddamn slow! Get in the car!" he turns around to the woman and begins to force her in the car again.

That was all I need just get my rage flying. With a grunt, I pulled on his shoulder to pry him off the woman. Whoever this fucker is, he's a fucking asshole. But, what if I did nothing? Is this really the best outcome for both me and her? Maybe, I read too much into the situation? No! Whatever the situation was, that act is unforgivable. Forcefully pushing anyone, be it, man or woman, into something they don't want to be apart of is unforgivable. I hate this, why can't I just end it here and now? With a sigh, I know why I'm still alive. Aunt, uncle, Nicole. There are more. Akiro, a friend of mine back in my hometown, and Akari, my little sister. Those five people believe in me. My happy thoughts made me drift off into sleep.

**Hey guys! If you guys are wondering, no, Akari, Akiro, or Akano's aunt and uncle won't be appearing in the story, only mentioned. They are just implemented to give Akano more of a backstory. Maybe I'll be making a prequel to this where it explores the relationships they have with Akano. Now, in future chapters, you will get what kind of person Akano is. She isn't that different from her male counterpart except for the fact that she is more aware of the things around her and is more rebellious. Oh! One more thing, I changed her initial persona to reflect on how she's feeling. Don't worry, she still has Sataneal as a final persona, it's just that Arsene isn't her initial persona. You will find out what it is later. Anyway, bye-bye!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Long Nose, Egghead, CASTLE?

I wake up to see a black ceiling. What the fuck? I look around and see a toilet. I'm also on a prison cot while also being in a prisoner jumpsuit. Oh great, cliche dream where I'm in another universe. Thank you manga and anime for preparing me for this. "Hehehehe..." That was a suspicious laugh if I've ever heard one. My eyes dart to the prison bars where the light shone through. Suddenly, two girls walked to the middle of the bars. Oh shit, their twins. This makes the situation scary now. I walk up to them, finally realizing that my ankle is chained to an iron ball, as my hands clenched on the bars. The twins separate as I see a desk and chair. Someone is on the chair too. "Trickster... Welcome to my Velvet Room."

"So you've come too, Inmate."

Inmate...? What the fuck...

"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream."

I kinda got that. Well, don't you look at that? Manga and anime do help when the time comes. Take that, dad!

"You're in the presence of our master, stand up straight!"

My god, harsh much? Well, I did what you told me to do. It sounds like you're going to slice my head off if I don't listen to you.

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well. I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well." Hmm, so this is that Velvet Room who people who are tied to a contract enters here. Wait, I didn't sign a contract! Wait, does a contract include a verbal agreement? Because if so, I'm bound to a contract with Nicole, that I wouldn't give up on a future. Wait, how the fuck do I remember something like that? Is it this place? Am I a magical girl? Wait, no. These questions can wait until later.

"Let me out of here!" I yell as the girl who wants to kill me whips the bars, making me jump. "Know your place, Inmate! Who do you think you're talking to!?" An old guy with a long nose, is he a god? Never heard of a god with a nose... "Still, this is a surprise... the state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate." He breathes slightly as my hands return to the bars. "Shortly, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you." "You've got to be fucking me sideways!" I yell out as I can see that both girls tense up and Igor raises his hand, making sure that they don't do anything else.

"Haha, worry not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be 'rehabilitated'. Rehabilitated toward freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin... do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?" His eyes turned soft yet still keeping its creepy stare. "I'd rather avoid ruin," I mutter as he chuckles, "Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." The twins turn around to face me. Who the fuck are you two? "Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here." Finally, I know these lollies names. "Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." Caroline scoffs and smirks. "Wardens have to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators. That is if you remain obedient..." Okay mental note, Caroline is a bitch and Justine is kinda nice.

"I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion. " Okay anime fate dream old nose. The two turn around yet again to face Igor. "Now then, it seems the night is waning... It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually..." Just then, a bell rings loudly. "TImes up. Now hurry and go back to sleep." Caroline yells at me, making me angrier. Before I knew it, I was back in the attic. Damn you, Igor. You too as well, Caroline and Justine. Wait, holy shit. I'm magical! This is awesome. Now I'm gonna follow the anime protagonists from before, I have to wait till I can show my powers. Will I look like Sailor Moon? Or maybe Mikan? Whatever it is, I have to keep my pure heart. If I don't, I become a villain.

Ugh, I have to get changed into my uniform. Sojiro will be here to pick me up so we can go to school. Reluctantly, I get out of bed and remove my nightie. I put on the uniform, having difficulty to button the fourth button. Why did I have to choose a small blazer? I managed to button it but it's tight around my chest. My god, let's just keep it unbuttoned. I can't breathe. I have a turtleneck so I don't have to worry about it much. "You decent?" I heard Sojiro from downstairs. "Yeah, come on up!" I yell back and he comes it. I re-tie the ribbon in my hair as he starts to drone on. "Young girls aren't usually allowed in my front seat. Just seems creepy." was what he muttered. At least he isn't creepy.

It wasn't a long car ride until we reached Shujin. It looks like a normal school but apparently, it's a prep school. Why would a prep school accept me? Meh, it's their choice. We made it to the principal's office as we greet each other. As Sojiro sign the forms, my mind was wondering where this guy's neck was. This is the principal? I wonder how students don't laugh at him. "To reiterate, just so we're clear, you will immediately be expelled if you cause any problems. Honestly, I hesitated on accepting someone like you, but there were some circumstances on our side... You might have done a variety of things in hiding in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here."

Thank you, Egghead (Kubz Scouts reference), for reminding me of my predicament. Plus, what gave you the idea that I did shady stuff back home if I was the treasurer of my school? I'm pretty sure that no one would get to that conclusion if they were a student council member, probation or not. Eh, whatever. I don't care what this Egghead thinks of me. "If you are thrown out from our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind. Anyway, this is the teacher in charge of your class." He looks over at the young woman standing in front of me. "I'm Sadoyo Kawakami. Here's your student ID." Ms. Kawakami slips me a card with my face on it as I take it. She seems out of it, what has she been up to?

"Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you to the guidance office. And, if by any chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all. That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?" She looks at him, anticipating him to say yes. What the fuck? Kobayakawa? I like Egghead better. "She is responsible for all her actions." Egghead confidently says as he looks at me. "Uniform must be worn with dignity. But as long as you keep it clean, I'll let it slide." I then realize what he meant. This bitch was really looking at my boobs. "Not my fault that this was the uniform given to me. And I am wearing it with dignity, 'Old saggy ass'..." I mutter as I cross my arms. I said that he was an old saggy ass in English so that he wouldn't understand. Anyway, I'm right, the school gave my probation officer this uniform. It isn't my fault that the blazer is a size too small.

All Egghead could do was scoff at my response. Kawakami complained about me being in her class and I started to feel unwelcomed even more. Sojiro got the hint and told Egghead that if it was all, we need to leave. Kawakami informed me to meet in the faculty office tomorrow so that I could introduce myself to the class. I just nodded and followed Sojiro. "I'm sorry we couldn't leave earlier when that principal started talking about your uniform. I know what he was getting at and I guess you caught it too. After that, it went downhill. All they're doing is treating you like a nuisance, even though you're trying to be polite... I guess that's what it means to have a criminal record. Turns out your past follows you wherever you go." Is he... comforting me? I thought that he thought that I was good for nothing criminal. Maybe he, sympathizes with me?

"By the way... if you get expelled now, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it?" There we go again. He may be the tough love kind of guy. "I'll be careful sir..." I bow as he 'hmphs' me. "School never changes, huh...?" He sighs and we leave. During the car ride, it took way longer due to traffic. Sojiro got pissed about it and the radio announces the reason why it's busy. Apparently, a subway was derailed at Shibuya Station, greatly affecting the schedule. Shit, I have to take the train tomorrow. "...So how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?" Sojiro starts up a conversation as my mind wanders a bit. "I just want this year to go by quick so I can go to my REAL home..." I pout and looked out the window, seeing all the cars in a line.

I guess Sojiro didn't know what I was saying because he asked, "You want to see your parents and little sister?" "My little sister, no. I'm planning on bringing her with me to my real home. I, don't want to discuss even further... not now..." I trail off as he stops the conversation and continues driving. Once we got to the store, Sojiro drones on for a few minutes, gave me a blank journal, then locks up Leblanc. I got changed into my nightie then heard the public phone go off. Who the fuck calls a public phone nowadays? More importantly, who owns a public phone, to begin with? Reluctantly, I answer the phone. It was Sojiro telling me to flip the door sign to 'Close' since this dumbass forgot.

I doubt that someone will go to a cafe that is locked and the lights are off. Though, better safe than sorry. I look out the window and saw no one going through the back alley so I guess it would be fine if I went out now without getting kidnapped or embarrassed. Quickly, I went outside and flipped the sign and went back in. Damn, it was freezing out there. Out of nowhere, someone approaches the door and I hid behind the register. I got a better look at the person, it is a he for starters. He had shaggy, chin-length brown hair, reddish-brown eyes painted on a pale canvas. He was wearing a tan peacoat as well as black pants and gloves. Come to think of it, he looks like my age.

"Excuse me? Are you aware that you are in a cafe after hours?" He asks and I facepalm. This looks so wrong, it looks like I'm robbing the place. "Can you unlock the door so we can discuss this please?" He asks again as I look reluctant to. "Um, can you please wait a moment? I won't go anywhere, promise! That's the only exit..." I trail off as he nods and leans his back on the door. This is my chance to get some pants! I bolt upstairs and saw the jeans I had on yesterday. Better than going pantsless. I hurry to put it on and bolt back downstairs and see him, still leaning on the door. I open it and he comes in.

"Detective Goro Akechi. Now, why are you in a cafe after hours, ma'am? Do you run this cafe?" Akechi introduces himself, shows me his badge, and asks me. Oh fuck, he's a cop. He's gonna tell Kenny. I'm gonna be more fucked than I am. "Nice evening Detective sir. My apologies but, I live in the attic of this cafe. I was actually flipping that sign there 'Close' before I head to bed." I answer as his face begin to flush. Guess he realizes that I'm wearing a nightie too. "M-My apologies ma'am... it's just that... when you just came in here I just, thought the worse. I'll leave you be now..." He rushes out and leaves. Thank Jesus. With that out of the way, I stumble to my bed and pass out immediately.

The next day I got ready for the day ahead. I got changed, did my hair so it is semi-decent, and put on my glasses. I basically looked like a normal high school student. The only difference was my red hair and the black ribbon that stood out. I went downstairs and saw Sojiro behind the counter with a plate of rice and curry along with a glass of milk. "Oh, so you're actually going to school? Here, I'll feed you. Just make sure you finish it before the customers start coming in." He says and I look surprised. "Curry...? I thought that if you were going to make me breakfast, you would half-ass it..." I ramble on and when I realized what I said, I covered my mouth.

Why the fuck did I say that? "Believe me, kid. If you weren't my responsibility, I would have half-assed it." He explains as I sit and begin to eat. I can taste complex flavors within the bold spiciness. You know what, I'll thank him after I finish. I have a question for him anyway. "Say, Sojiro... why did you accept to take me in? You don't know me or my parents properly, so why did you?" "I was asked by a family friend of yours. Hearing your predicament, made me want to take you in. I wanted you to at least have a somewhat peaceful year under probation." Sojiro sighs and I smile at him for the answer and the curry I just finished. "Thank you. For both taking me in and feeding me curry, it was delicious!" I stand, bow, and leave. I noticed that the sign hasn't been flipped yet so I flipped it for him.

Now, what were the trains I need to take? I know I take the train to go to Shibuya, but where else... Ginza? Ginza it is then. The train took forever. It was all because of that incident too. I feel bad for all the people on that train as well, I hope it doesn't affect the trains I'm on... Eventually, I make it to the Aoyama-Itchome district. Finally! But wait... IT'S RAINING!? Why? Why does it have to rain now, goddamnit?! Ugh! Rain or shine, I at least have to get away from the station. With that, I run towards the nearest shelter and hid under there. I see students going pass, holding umbrellas, rushing to school. Why couldn't I have an umbrella? Shit...

I go on my phone and see that the app is back on. What the fuck man? Ugh, I delete it later. Just then, someone goes past me and under the shelter I'm under. She wore the Shujin blazer also a varsity jacket under it. Her hood was on her head and she pulls it back. Bushy, blonde pigtails spiral out. I haven't seen a foreigner in ages. She even has bright blue eyes. The girl looks around until she realizes I was staring at her. I expected her to get mad but she just smiled and looked forward. I can't just stare at her all day, it's creepy as shit. I look away as a car pulls over a few feet in front of us.

The window went down as it showed a middle-aged man, smiling. "Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late!" He asks the girl and she accepts. "Um, sure. Thank you." The girl walks up to the car and his gaze turns to me. "Do you need a lift, too?" I don't know you. Fuck off. "Nah, it's fine!" I wave as she buckles up and rolls the window up. Just in time, I catch her sad face. What happened? Out of nowhere, a boy with bleach blonde hair in the Shujin uniform comes rushing past me. "Damn it! Screw that pervy teacher!" he grunts and my head tilts, "Pervy... teacher...?" He turns around and looks into my black eyes.

"What? You into Kamoshida? Planning on telling him I'm bad-mouthing him?" He asks aggressively as I sigh. "Who the fuck is Kamoshida, to begin with?" I fold my arms as he gives me a confused look. "What? You don't know Kamoshida? You're from Shujin, right?" this guy is annoying me now. "I'm a transfer student," I say as he gives an 'oh' look. "Just some advice, stay away from him. He just thinks he is the king of a castle because he's an entitled asshole." We begin to walk and talk. Coincidently, we both get a headache at the same time. This has to be apart of the magical destiny thing again! Then that means, he's my sidekick? Meh, I'll figure it out as this magical destiny thing as I go on.

"What makes him entitled?" I ask as he sighs. "He won the Olympics and since then he is an egotistical bastard. I just don't want you to get involved with him. You're too cute for that bastard..." pink was painted on his face as he said that. The same was with me so I looked away. Wait, why am I acting shy? I was hit on back at 'home' by guys I don't know and never acted shy around them. I just nodded and walked away. So why is this different? The two of us walk into an alley which made me suspicious about the surroundings. Something was wrong, but what was wrong? "What!?" the boy yelped as I realize, I'm way behind him. I catch up and see him gaping at a castle. Wait, what? A castle? Where the fuck is the school!?

"We didn't... come the wrong way, though... yeah, this should be right." The two of us look at the sign out front as it read, 'Shujin Academy' in kanji, hiragana, which made us look at each other and shrug. "I guess we'll just have to go in and ask..." the boy looks ahead as I grab his arm. "Are you sure? Number one rule about horror movies, 'Never just walk into places out of the ordinary unless you are prepared or willing to die'!" I look concerned as he smiles, "Don't worry, they'll have to get through me before they get to you!". My face flushes with that comment and I begin to hold onto his arm as we walk on.

The inside was a massive hall like in those European castles my aunt would take me to. I would call it pretty if there wasn't a self-portrait of a douchebag on the wall by the stairs. "Th-this is weird... where's the school?" The boy asks, making me a little more fearful. "Um... is this our school...?" I look at him as he explains that is should be because of the sign. We question everything as something approaches us. It was a guy donned in a metal suit. More began to surround us as my body got closer to him. "C-calm down! TIme out, man! C'mon, let's run!" he pulls me as more of those guys came. The boy started to protect me but that didn't stop them from knocking me out.

**Hey guys! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter is my favorite, I bet you guys can guess why if you played the game, but other than that, I hope you guys like the way I portrayed Akano in the Velvet Room. I want her to be an otaku, but not to the extent as another character later down the line. Anyway, I hope you guys have a lovely day and that you guys continue reading this. I also wish for criticism so if you can, leave some of those criticism positive please. I will take you seriously if it is positive. Anyway, bye-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Awakening & Escaping

**Hey guys! I hope that you like this chapter, this is a long chapter, because I like it. Also, you guys will know what persona Akano has and who that blond kid is. Anyway, here is chapter 4!**

"...Hey."

Who's that...?

"Hey! Wake up!"

My body begins to be shaken as I wake up. The first thing I saw was that boy's face, then I realized we were in a cell. "You all right?" his question rang with this small cell. "Yup, you?" I look at him concerned as he nods. I then see that there was a bruise on the back of his left hand and I took it. "We need to treat this before it gets worse!" I freak out as I realize that there was no cloth. "I-It isn't THAT bad..." He tenses up as soon as I gripped harder on his hand. Wait, cloth? Oh! I untie the ribbon in my hair and wrapped it on his hand tightly. "You didn't have to do that..." the boy turns red and I giggle, "You're right... but I wanted to." I blush too but not in an embarrassing way. I was blushing from smiling.

Just then, another one of those things came to the cell door. "Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is 'unlawful entry'. Thus, you will be sentenced to death." "Say what!?" Both of us say at the same time. No way... am I going to die...? "No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle." What the fuck? A dude in a robe came up to the cell. Huh, OH PLEASE SAY THAT HE'S WEARING SOMETHING UNDER THAT ROBE! "Huh? Wait... is that you, Kamoshida?" Blondie looked as confused as me. "Hold up, Kamo-what the fuck?" Seriously, who is this motherfucker?

"I thought it was some petty thief, but think it'd be you, Sakamoto... are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh? And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything yourself. She's gorgeous too. After you're punishment, I'll give her my special punishment..." His view turns to me and I look more fearful than before. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her! This ain't funny, you asshole!" Sakamoto pulls me closer to him, protectively and my face flushes red. Why would he do something like this to a person like me? And why am I blushing so much around him!? "Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me - the king. The punishment for that is death. It's time for an execution! Take him out!"

"S-Stop it...!" He lets me go as the guards came into the cell, pushing us away from each other. "...goddammit...! Hragh!" With all of his strength, Sakamoto pushes one of the guards on the ground, "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!". I reach for his hand but another guard shoves him to the ground, being a barrier being the two of us. He started groaning in pain and all I could do was stand and watch in horror. "Just go! Get outta here...! These guys are serious!" His words made me tremble. My legs won't move! "Oh? running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are." I can't run... I just can't.

My ears start to blank out their words until this 'king' started beating Sakamoto really badly. "Stop it!" Tear flew down my face as his eyes landed on me. "Hm...? What...? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am? That look in your eyes irritates me!" He kicks my stomach, making me want to vomit Sojiro's curry. My back hits the walk and I slid down. "Hold her there... after the peasant, it's her turn to die." "No!" I stood to try and blindside him but his guards pinned me to the wall. Sakamoto pleas for his life as this guy just laughs at him.

"This is truly an unjust game... you're chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."

Who's that?

"What's the matter...? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?"

Flashes of that night appear quickly making me just want to do something.

"It wasn't!"

He was now being held up by his throat, with a sword near it.

"Very well... I have heeded your resolve."

Just then, a bloodcurdling headache rushes through my skull.

"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and released thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell it'self!"

"Execute him!" 'King' points at Sakamoto. "That's enough!" I yelled with a burning passion and determination. "What was that...?" The guard just drops Sakamoto on the ground as they turned their attention to me. "You know what? I change my mind. I'm going to play with you since you seem so willing. There is only one thing, those glasses. Not into them. Guards!" He signals the guard to do so. What I was expecting was that it would just take my glasses off normally. Nope. He hit my head as my glasses through to the opposite end of the cell. The guards pin me in place as this bastard walks up to me. "Let's get started shall we..." I close my eyes

"Per... so...na!" I mumble, not too loud that he could hear it. His hand reaches for my face as I open my eyes. A strong gust of wind came from me as I was released from the guards' grasps and the 'King's' hold on me. I see Sakamoto look at me with a weird look as something strange comes to surround my eyes. I touch it.

...A...mask...?

I try to pull it off but it wouldn't budge. I pull harder as it works, but blood starts curtailing out. A giant smirk grows on my face as the blood went up and dissolved into flames. The flames traveled up my body as it slowly revealed I was in a different outfit. My black ankle boots were changed to thigh-high, 5-inch heel, blue-gray boots with a leather patch where my knee is that has the laces on it. My uniform was changed to a black pleated skirt, a black corset with swirl designs and yellow buttons, and a red sweetheart cut out blouse. I also had a black cape and red gloves that topped off the look. Let's do this! With just a wave of my arms, a huge gust of wind blew past me along with broken chain pieces as I saw a pair of big, black wings. The 'King' ran off in fear while Sakamoto looked shocked. "W-What the...?" we're what I heard because of this overwhelming power. My left hand was on my hip, my right hand did like that creepy hand thing, and my face had an evil look on it.

"I am the cursed Saint of French nobility - 'Jeanne'!"

"What the...?" He was still in a daze.

"I am the rebel's souls that dwells deep within your psyche. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."

I look over at Sakamoto as he was still bruised to hell and back and was struggling to stand"Jeanne! Give me your power right now! He needs our help!"

"Very well. Allow my power to run through your blood!"

"Who the hell are you...!? Guards! Start by killing that one!" The 'King' ordered as the guards transformed into floating pumpkins. This is supposed to be threatening...? "You'll learn the true strength of my men!"

"Detest the enemies before you! Change that animosity into power... and unleash it!"

"Persona!" I call out as Jeanne appears. This time I got a good look at her. She was in a short, blood-red armor dress that ended above her knees. Her skin was ashy as if she was just extinguished. On her eyes were bandages wrapped around her head and her hair was in a single braid over her shoulder. What shocked me the most was that she had big, black, feather wings like demons. But I know for a fact, she isn't a demon. A word appears in my head, 'Eiha', and urging from Jeanne makes me use it. "Ravage 'em!" a mix of red, white, and black surround one of the pumpkins as it starts to look down. They take this chance to hit me. As they do so, all I hear is, "Hoo!" and, "Hee hoo!" what the fuck...

"Swing your blade!"

Blade? What blade? Just then, I feel something on my thigh. It was a knife pouch and inside was a knife. I took it as I begin swinging it at the same pumpkin I hit last time as it fades away. "This power of mine is yours! Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!" After that the other pumpkin hits me, saying that 'Hee hoo' bullshit. I continue to do the same until that pumpkin fades.

"What..." That bought me back into reality. Wait, I just changed clothes!? What the fuck!? "What was that just now...!?" Sakamoto looks me up and down. Whether it was in fear or whatever, I don't care. "You little...!" 'King' raises his hand to hit me but Sakamoto tackles him. "You like that, you son of a bitch!?" "The key!" I call out as he looks at the keys on the ground and takes it. We rush out of the cell and Sakamoto locks it. While 'King' was cursing at us, Sakamoto begins to ask tons of questions. "Hey...! What was that just now!? And... your clothes...!" He looks at me up and down again.

"Damn..." he says out loud and my face goes almost the same color as my hair. I guess this outfit does look hot on me with my figure being more noticeable but, I barely know you and I'm right here. Just then, flames appear around me and my clothes revert back to normal. "Whoa, it went back to normal...!?" his pout makes him wish to see me in that again. "Why do you sound disappointed?" I ask with attitude while folding my arms and turning around. "You bastards!" the dude in the cage shakes the cell door like a child demanding playtime. "God, this's effin' nuts! Anyways, let's scram! C'mon!" Sakamoto throws the key into the river, takes my hand, as the to of us run together.

Ryuji's POV

Holy shit... that girl just whooped those pumpkins' asses. Wait, what happened to her uniform? Why is she wearing that? Holy shit, she's sexy. "You little..." 'Kamoshida' goes up to her, about to hit her. I can't let this bastard do any more of this bullshit. With all my strength, I stand and tackle Kamoshida as he lies at my feet. "You like that, you son of a bitch!?" I laugh but it was cut off by the redhead girl, telling me about the key. I take it, ran with her out of the cell and locked it. Kamoshida curses at us but I ignore him. "Hey... what was that just now!? And... your clothes...!" I check her out and a small smirk crept on my face. "Damn..." As soon as she heard that her face went red and her clothes returned to normal. I say it, I was a little disappointed. "Whoa, it went back to normal...!?" I guess I was pouting because she looked vexed

"Why do you sound disappointed?" She folds her arms and turns around. Oh great, I pissed her off. "You bastards!" Kamoshida shakes the cell door as it freaks me out. "God this is effin' nuts! Anyway, let's scram! C'mon!" I throw the key in the river, take the redhead's hand, and run away from Kamoshida. The two of us were almost caught by those guard things and also saw cages hanging from the ceiling. We run into a wall and I got angry. I only calmed down because I heard something behind me. I turn around to see the redhead, huffing and puffing, sweating and almost about to fall.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry. I should've stopped a while back." Her weight just drops there. Her glasses fall off, she's trying to get her breathing to normal, while also trying to talk. "I-It's... fine... I should... try... and gain... more stamina..." Her breathing was heavy. I grab her glasses from the stone floor, allowing me to analyze them. They had round lenses as the frames were black with gold accents. Looks expensive. "Um, I know this may be a bit late to ask but..." I look over the redhead as she looks back at me with a small smile. I now got a better look at her.

Her fiery hair framed her pale, fragile face. Those black eyes were as dark as night, which complemented her hair. Her cheeks were a little poofy as well as being tinted with pink and dotted with freckles, her nose was small and cute. Her light pink lips finished her face. It was perfect. "What's your name?" She asks as I begin to fumble a bit. "U-Uh, m-my name is Ryuji Sakamoto, but you can just call me Ryuji. You?" I start to scratch the back of my neck as she giggles.

Akano's POV

"U-Uh, m-my name is Ryuji Sakamoto, but just call me Ryuji. You?" Ryuji scratches the back of his neck which a giggle couldn't be avoided. "Name's Akano Kurusu. Though I'd rather you call me Akano since I'm gonna be calling you Ryuji!" I stand, as my breath has been restored and he does the same. "Here." He opens my glasses and places them on my face. His face went pink, which I couldn't resist laughing at. What? It was cute! "C-C'mon... they'll find us if we stay here for too long. You look like you've got your breath back so let's go..." He takes my hand and we speed walk away, avoiding guards along the way. After multiple twists and turns, we got to another dead end. Or, so we thought was just a dead end. "...Hey, you there. Blondie! Redhead! Look over here!" Ryuji and I turned our heads to the left and what we saw was... well, something you don't see daily. It was a tiny black figure with white hands, feet, and half of its face was white. It had something that resembled a belt on its waist as well as big blue eyes and a yellow handkerchief around its neck. Lastly, on its head and back was a pair of ears and a tail respectively. It was... kinda cute in a way. "Gah! What is that thing!?" Ryuji backed up but I stayed in my place.

"You're not soldiers of this castle, right!? Get me out of here! Look, the key's right there!" It pleaded but I just looked at it in awe. "We're trying to get the hell out of here...! I mean, obviously look like an enemy too!" Ryuji, why do you have to be dumb? 'Don't call anyone your enemy, unless you are willing to fight them'. I know it may not look like much but, don't be surprised if it can whoop your monkey ass. "I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy!? Help me out!" It continues to plead for its freedom. I have to butt in before they start arguing and those things will come.

"Quiet both of you before I rip you a new one!" After I said that, they both go silent. "Now, who are you? And what will you do if we let you out?" I bent down to its level as it smiled. " I can answer both questions, Redhead. One, my name is Morgana. Two, if you help me out, I will lead you two to the exit." Morgana spoke in a high and mighty tone which made me giggle a bit. That soon faded when were heard more guards coming. "You don't want to get caught and executed, right?" I look at Ryuji and we both shrug.

"You better not be lying Morgana..." I trail off as I grab the key. Unlocking the cell, I see Morgana has a big smile on his face which made me smile back. "You're really going to trust him, Akano?" Ryuji asks and I nod, "If this is the only way of getting out, I'm willing to take that chance. Not just for me, but for you as well." I look at his hand that I wrapped with my ribbon and he looks at it too. I guess he got the message. Morgana leads us to a draw bridge that was next to the statue. Ryuji was bitching at Morgana but all Morgana did was roll his eyes.

"Redhead, can you check around this statue, please? I'm too short..." He looks at me with a sigh and I try to mess with the statue. Then, it just dawned on me. This fucking mouth is too big. I tried pulling it up but it didn't work so I tried pushing it down and it worked. The bridge fell as the three of us ran across. Just as we got to the other side, another guard appears. "A-Aah! Shit... shit, it's them!" Ryuji falls on the ground and I stand in front of him. My clothes change as Morgana chuckles, "Tch... you amateur! Stay still!" He jumps over Ryuji and turns his attention to me, "Hey, you! You could fight, right? Let's go!" Morgana leaps closer to the guard. "Come, ZORRO!" He calls as a giant Spanish man with tiny legs and a puffed out chest manifested behind him.

Wait, Zorro? Wasn't he in that novel I was into when I was in England? Whatever. "Y-You got one of those things too!?" Ryuji freaked as both Morgana and I smirked. "Hmph, we will promptly shut them up!" Two monsters appear from that one guard. Heh, cheats. One was that pumpkin thing and the other was a guy with bloodshot eyes and a, uh... long situation. "Damn shadows... they've taken up intercept positions! It means they're holding nothing back and are serious to kill us! I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!" Morgana looks fired up so I decided to fight.

"Persona!" Eiha... "Go down!" I yell as darkness grows around the pumpkin and deals damage. "Hmph, I knew you were an amateur. This is how you fight!" Morgana readies his persona, "Zorro! show your might!" Zorro appears behind him, slashes his sword in a 'Z' as a gust of wind attacks the pumpkin. Huh? Did it fall? "Strike an enemy's weakness to knock them down. Use that opening to strike again! That is the most basic of basics! Remember it well!" He smirks and I note it down mentally. "C'mon, let's hurry up and get through this!" The battle goes on for a little bit as Morgana shredded through that.

"My other self..."

Huh? I know that voice... Jeanne?

"Your experience in this battle now allows you to use the move, 'Cleave' in battles..."

Um, okay? I don't know what that means but I guess I'll figure it out later. "Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful." Morgana complimented me as I smile brightly at him. "Persona...?" I hear from behind me. I turn around to see Ryuji still trying to process the information he's getting. "Y' mean that thing that comes outta you guys all dramatic-like?" "Yes. You saw how Redhead here ripped off her mask when she summoned it, right? Well, everyone wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that..." Just as he was going to continue, my clothes yet again dissolved into flames as I'm now in my uniform yet again.

"Huh...? She turned back to normal..." again, Ryuji had a disappointed tone which I just ignored. "Hm, it looks like you don't have full control over your power yet. The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all-" Ryuji cuts Morgana halfway through his sentence with, "Rrgh, that's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!". Morgana looks so pissed that he interrupted him. The two have a small argument, which I couldn't give two shits about, until Morgana stopped it and handed me three medicines. Don't know how these will work but, meh!

Ryuji and I follow Morgana's lead, ran into a guy in a cage, fought another dude, and ended up in a room with a vent. "Where are we supposed to get out from here!? There aren't even any windows!" I immediately facepalmed. Has he never watched spy movies where they go through vents? Oh wait, that's a more of a Western thing. "Ugh, amateur... this is the most basic of basics." Morgan belittles him. Ugh, I got to stop this before more guards come our way. "The vent up there. We can crawl through there and get out." I point up to the vent as Morgana grins at me. "That's right! As I thought, you're a natural at this."

His praise made me smile back at him and Ryuji irritated. "Nah, I ain't a natural. I just watch American spy movies..." I trail off because I don't think these guys want to know what I'm into. I don't know them, they don't know me. if we want to know each other, we need to get out of here. "Nice. Anyway, this vent leads all the way outside," he finishes. "I see... then we just need to get this metallic mesh off! Sit tight Akano, I got this..." He goes up and pulls on the vent. I look around and saw a nearby chair so I sat on it, watching Ryuji struggle to pull that vent off. It took a while but it came off, along with him. He falls, back first, onto the stone floor as it makes a loud noise.

The scene just made me cringe and rush up to him. "Ryuji! Are you okay?" I lift the vent from his clutches and threw it away. "Yeah, I'm fine. Wait, the enemy didn't hear it right? C'mon Akano, we can get out of here!" He stands, clutching onto the hand wrapped with my ribbon. Something happened to it, didn't it? "You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out. Now, get going." Morgana tells us calmly as Ryuji and I question him about not coming with us. He apparently had something major to do before he leaves. "Thank you for leading us out Morgana!" I extend my hand out for him to shake it and he accepts it. "Heh. You got manners. Be careful on your way out both of you." With that, Ryuji goes through the vent and I follow.

Morgana's POV

I watch the two leave and I begin to think aloud. Not too loud to where they can hear me. "Those two seem useful... especially the Redhead, if my judgment's right. Akano, was it?"

**Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter! If you guys want to know who is Akano's persona, it is actually Joan Of Arc (her name is Jeanne d'Arc in French). Reason why I have Jeanne be her persona is that Akano, unlike her male counterpart, has a past to where she was a great person. I actually thought that, after she did her best in life, her getting a criminal record is her getting burned at the stake. Reason why is because Akano lost everything. Her reputation, her future, and part of herself. I also want to point out that, Akano doesn't want to be a thief. The reason she becomes a Phantom Thief later on is much like another character that will tag along. So because of this, I thought Jeanne was a good choice. Tell me if it is a good choice or bad choice because I can change it back to Arsene. Anyway, bye-bye!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Rumors

**Hey guys! Here is chapter 5! Now, before starting from this chapter, I would like to say that starting with this chapter, things starts getting serious. It will start from small stuff to get more serious. If you are squeamish about these themes, what I will do is when is comes to stuff like this, I will put a warning in bold for you to skip the scene and at the end of the scene for you to resume reading. These certain scenes are optional to read but they will give insight on what's going on.**

"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."

Those were the last words I heard as my surroundings faded into red and black. It slowly became the busy Shibuya I need to get used to. "Are you okay Akano? You're staring off into space?" something latches onto my arm. I turn my head in that direction and see Ryuji looking at me concerned. "Yeah I'm fine. Just feeling a light-headed, that's all!" I shake my head and flashed a smile at him. "What's with you two? Are you two students of Shujin Academy?" a voice calls at us as we turn in that direction. Oh shit, it's the fuzz. "Cutting classes are we?" one of the officers asks which makes me tense up and Ryuji look vexed. All Ryuji was doing was making the cops think he's on drugs by talking about the castle. Hell, they even wanted to check his bag. One of the cops turn to me, "Hmm? Red hair... you Kenny~San's kid?" he asked and I just groaned. With a roll of my eyes, "So what if I am?" Ryuji was shocked at my response but what he did was sigh. "Get to school and take your boyfriend with you now or we will inform your school. I hope you know that Kenny~San will know of this." Great, Kenny is going to kick my ass.

"Eh? We're not boyfriend and girlfriend!" Ryuji freaked out with a red face. Really? Eh, I just need to get out of here. If these cops are dumb enough to think he is my boyfriend, I guess I have to play it off. Unwillingly, I clench myself onto his arm, "C'mon babe, lets get to school!" I say and practically drag him away. "H-Hey! Wait!" He's too flustered to answer properly. I look back and see that the two cops walked into a nearby store. With a sigh of relief, I let go of Ryuji's arm. "Sorry dude, I just had to get away from those guys. Didn't want to get more of an ass whopping then I'm already gonna get..." I do a small bow and looked at his face. It was as red as a tomato. "I-It's fine! R-really!" he scratches the back of his neck and I continue to walk to school. I just took the same path as before and it lead me to the school. I was still expecting a castle so my mouth was open in shock.

"Is this for real...? I'm sure we came the same way... what's goin' on?" I try to look at his reaction to see if his is the same as mine but he wasn't looking at me. I shook it off as someone steps out of the school building. Fuck. "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you. We received a call from the police." It was a middle aged man who looked like a councilor. "Damn cop snitched on us after all!" No duh, Ryuji. He's not a cool cop from those movies. This old guy starts asking where the fuck were we and Ryuji became a dumbass and spoke about the castle. Of course, this guy didn't believe him. "What's this about a castle?" That fucking voice. "Kamoshida!?" Ryuji exasperated. So this is the asshole in the castle? "You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team." Did? Track team? He really did do track team? Morning practice, too? I don't know sports but if you practice that much you must be devoted. Why did he stop?

"Shuddup! It's your fault that-" "How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida! There's not much leeway left for you, you know?" The councilor scolds Ryuji. They have a small argument with the old man finishing it with threatening Ryuji about him being expelled and ordering him to go with him. "What!? This is bullshit!" his outburst made Kamoshida chuckle. "Come now. I should have been more considerate, too. Let's just say we were both to blame." if it wasn't for his smug look, I would've thought he was a nice teacher. "Well, if you say so... still, you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you are extremely late." these two piss me off. "Fine..." Ryuji submitted and walked up the steps. I do the same. "Hey, are you the transfer student, Akano Kurusu, correct? Ms. Kawakami is waiting for you. I'll take you there." Kamoshida asks me while giving me a smirk.

"Sir, I'll write a report on this student. She's new, so I'll show her around the school as well." he tells the councilor as he nods and walks inside the school. Ryuji turned his head around and glares at Kamoshida before he enters. I was left with him. Not only the fact that he is creepy as fuck, I barely know this guy. "I remember your face... you're that girl who refused to a ride with me and Takamaki." He tells me and I nod. "Just saying, stay away from Sakamoto. He's bad news. If you have any problems, come consult me." He wraps his arm on my shoulders, which make me shudder and move out of the way in time. "I'm sorry it's just-" "Nah, it's fine. We have all year for you to warm up to me. Anyway, let's get on with the tour." Kamoshida walks into the school. Taking a deep breath, I walk in after him.

_Back to the interrogation room..._

"The school turned into an old castle...? A talking cat...? Are you hallucinating from an overdose? I won't put up with you if you're simply joking around." Oh great, she doesn't believe me. "I'm going to have you continue the story." She pulled out three sheets of paper. One was one with a logo and 'Take Your Heart' printed on it while the other one held someones photograph. "The one who received a 'calling card' from the Phantom Thieves was an Olympic medalist... an alumnus from Shujin Academy - the PE teacher Suguru Kamoshida. It's true that what he did were deplorable crimes from... indulging his desires. He confessed to it all. But there should've been no connections between the two of you since you had just transferred. Why did you target him?" her question lingered in my head. Flashes of events that happened with him came to me. "I'll tell you later..." I say as she got angry. From there, I told her what happened next.

_Back to the game..._

"And this is the faculty office where Ms. Kawakami is waiting for you." With the fakest smile I have ever seen, Kamoshida gestures to the door of the faculty office. "I gotta get ready at my next class so I'll see you later. And remember, I am always here when you need me Kurusu~San." And with that he's gone. Mental note, don't talk to him. Period. With a sigh, I open the door. First thing I see is Ms. Kawakami. The moment she noticed me, she had this annoyed look on her face. "Unbelievable..." she sighs, "Being over half a day late on your first day...? Can you explain yourself?" She asks as I roll my eyes. First you don't want me here and now you 'act' concerned? I mean, yeah, you're a teacher, but you've made it clear that you don't like me. "Trains at Yongen were packed. That ain't my cup of tea, being pushed up against walls of a train, no. I waited for a later train that had less people. Also what effected it was the accident." I lie as she sighs.

"Next time, take the first train. I get the second part but the first part, that doesn't excuse your actions. Will you pull yourself together? You were given fair warning yesterday. More importantly... the councilor said that you were hanging around that Sakamoto~Kun." Her eyebrow raises as I stop talking. This bitch is gonna scold me for hanging out with a 'delinquent'. He may look like one but, he doesn't seem like it. With a sigh, she begins again, "He's nothing but trouble. If you want an okay year, stay away from him. Though, I don't think you will listen to me. Anyway, the bell is going to ring, let's get to class." She stands from her chair and exits the faculty office. I do the same and follow her to my classroom. On the way, I hear students gossiping.

'Oh my god! Is that the transfer student?'

'I hear she's got a record...'

'Yeah, assault.'

'Damn, she's cute... though, she could hurt me if I try flirting'

How the fuck do these shitheads know about my record? Seriously man... this is going to be a rough year. After a long time of walking, we make it to the classroom. "About you being late, just be serious about it even if you're lying. Do NOT say anything unnecessary." Just as she finished speaking the bell rang. "Here's a chalk, write your name when I introduce you." Kawakami hands me a thin piece of white chalk and I hold onto it. Students flooded the class and found their ways to their desks. "Good afternoon class. Today we have a transfer student. She's only able to join us from this period due to the fact that she was in the nurses office." as she was speaking, I wrote my name on the green chalkboard in both Hiragana and English. "Please introduce yourself to the class and give one fact about yourself." Her hand gestures tell me to speak. "My name is Akano Kurusu and I'm foreign." I say with a bow.

'You think that's her?'

'Being over half a day late on her first day? Man, she's insane...'

'Is that really her? She doesn't look like a criminal...'

'It's got to be her! She's the only transfer student in our year!'

These voices are going to be the death of me. "Your seat will be... hmm... over there. The one that's open. Sorry, but could the people around her please share your textbooks with her for today?" she informs the class as they complain. Reluctantly, I walk over to the desk she pointed at. "...lies." It was the girl from before. I didn't want to make a scene so I just glared at her and sat at the desk. Unfortunately, she's in front of me. The students start talking about it and how our side of the room is horrible. What do you mean? She looks like the nicest girl in this school. Either that or one of the popular kids from those movies. Oh wait, that's a Western thing... I sit at my assigned seat as more people talk about me. Kawakami starts teaching class while also mentioning that this is the last period because of the accident and that the volleyball rally is coming up. Great, two things I give zero shits about.

Class was a drag. Nothing really important that I learned, like always. I leave the class and go light-headed a bit. Flashes of the castle appear in the hallway. "Hey, are you okay?" I hear. It was Kawakami. "Yeah I'm fine. Just need some advil." I tell her as she sighs in relief. "Okay. I just came to say that rumors about you are going around, but I'm not the one who told them." Sure you didn't. "Anyway, I'm going to reassure to you to stay away from Saka-" She was cut off by Ryuji coming towards us. "Speak of the devil." The two go on and on about bullshit I didn't need to know. Apparently he used to have black hair before. He went to leave but he came to my ear. "Meet me on the rooftop." He said and walked away. Kawakami goes on again, shitting on Ryuji and telling me that Sojiro was pissed, fucking snitch, then left. Now I can go talk to Ryuji. Now, where are those stairs...

As I walked, I bumped into a boy with slightly spiked, dark blue hair. Wait, he's in my class. Mishima? Was it? There was bruises and bandages on his face. "I... uh... m-my a-a-a-apologies Kurusu~San!" I goes to run away but I call for him to wait. "Y-Yeah...?" He's scared of me. Great. "You're in my class, right? Mishima~Kun?" I ask as he shyly nods. Wait, Ryuji bruised his hand, right? "Do you know where the stairs are? I forgot where they are... also the nurse's office..." I look down in embarrassment as he sighs in relief. "O-Oh! J-J-Just follow me..." He leads me to th nurse's office and I was able to take out a first aid kit, as long as I brought it back. He then leads me to the hallway that has the stairs in it. "Arigato Mishima~Kun!" I bow and run up the stairs. I continue to run up the stairs until I reached the rooftop. There was a sign on the door that says not to go up there but I don't give a fuck.

I open the door and saw Ryuji just sitting there. "...Oh, you're here. Thought you were gonna up and leave." He smiles at me and I perk up my glasses. "I'm not an asshole, Ryuji." that comment made us chuckle a bit. "Anyway, sorry for calling you up here last minute. Bet ya that Kawakami told you to stay away from me, huh?" I knew he was gonna say that. "She says you're trouble. Though, she doesn't like me. I don't care since the feeling's mutual." I sit on a nearby desk and hug my left leg. "Well, the two of us are in the same boat. For both of those. I hate Kawakami and she hates me. But the other thing, I heard you got a criminal record, everyone's talkin' about it. It's strange though, you don't look like the criminal type." He looks me up and down as it make my face pink. "What do I look like then?"

Ryuji's POV

"What do I look like then?" was her response to my answer to that. "Um, let me think about it... a chinchilla maybe?" That took a lot of thinking honestly. "Chinchilla...? The fuck you mean?" of course she's questioning it. I swear, if I tell her, she may slap me to kingdom come. But I'm gonna say it. "Because you're feisty like one and cute like one." The moment I said that, her face went read her eyes widen."E-E-Eh!? Why would you say that so calmly!?" I was expecting her to rush up to me and slap the shit out of me but she just stayed there, fidgeting in place. "A-A-Anyway, what did you need before I go into bitch mode." She threatens me in that cute, pissed off tone of her's. "I asked you up here so I can ask about that castle without sounding crazy. Was it all a dream? Do you remember it?" I asked, hoping that she remembers it. She does a small nod while her face returns to her normal pale skin.

"But... even if we both remember it, it doesn't mean much though... but to be honest, dream or not, you saved me from Kamoshida. So, thanks Akano~Chan!" With that comment, it made her smile and stare at my hand. I looked at it too and saw the black ribbon she wrapped on it. "Oh this. No wonder why the other students were looking at it weird. Here let me..." I began to unwrap it but then I saw a huge bruise mark. "Holy shit! Guess I was right to bring this then..." Akano proceeds to pull out a first aid kit from her bag. "Give me your hand." Her voice was calm and caring, so I did as she told me. She took out a container of aloe vera and a small patch about the same size as the back of my hand. "Shit. There's no wrap. Guess the nurse forgot to pack it. Meh, I just use the ribbon." and with that, she went to work. Spreading the aloe vera all on the back of my hand and massaging it, placing the patch on the bruise, and finally wrapping it in the ribbon.

Akano's POV

"And... DONE!" I says as I finish tying up the ribbon on his hand. "Wow, impressive! Thanks Akano~Chan, I had this bruise from yesterday and it was hurting like a bitch. I tried doing it by compressing it with heat and ice but I think that this will heal better." He praises me as I smile sweetly with pink tinted cheeks. "Thanks. My aunt taught me how to treat small things like this since she was about to be a nurse but ended up being an artist." I tell him as he give me an 'oh' face. He sighs and looks at me, "I wanted to talk to you about Kamoshida. There are some rumors going around about him." Ryuji states as I let go of my leg. "Kamoshida? That creepy motherfucker from this morning?" I ask as he nods. "That asshole who was full of himself at the castle. No one says anything against him 'cause he's some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals. The way Kamoshida was a king of that castle felt crazy real 'cause of that..." He looked up at the sky and sighed. "...I wonder if we could back to that castle again..."

Oh, I'm sure I can go back there. If nose was telling the truth, then I'm gonna go back there. It's my magical destiny or some bullshit. "Ugh, forget it! Must've all been a dream! It has to be!" Ryuji scowled and stood up. "Sorry to drag you out here like this. That's all I had to say. I feel like we're gonna get along just fine as 'troublemakers'. I'll come talk to you if I see you around. Don't ignore me, all right? Seeya." With that, he leaves. Guess I should leave soon too. Oh wait! I forgot to take my advil. I begin to dig in my bag as I pulled out my water bottle and a container of advil. I take out two and gulp it down with water and packed it back in my bag. I walk down the stairs as I see Kamoshida. I hid, praying to Jesus that he didn't see me. But it didn't work. "Kurusu~San? I thought you left already." He greets me, having his hand rest on the wall. "I'm leaving now, actually. I just have to drop this off back at the nurse's office." I hold up the first aid kit and he smirks. "It's getting late, how about after you take that kit to the nurse's office, I'll drop you off." He drew closer to my face and I shake my head.

"I'm fine Mr. Kamoshida, really. You being a teacher, you're probably busy. I'll take the train home, have a nice day!" I rush down the stairs before he could grab me and I rush towards the nurse's office and place it on the table since it was empty. That was the best idea I could've think of. This guy is just creepy and him dropping me off means that he knows where I live. I'm not having that. After transferring from train to train, I make it to Yongen and Leblanc. I got an earful from Sojiro about how late I was and all I could do was apologize. I mean, I would've thought I was insane if I start mentioning the castle. After that, he got on the phone. He seemed pleased at it but it changed when he found out I was eavesdropping and told me to go upstairs. I do as I'm told and changed into my nightie. Hmm... guess I should write something so that Kenny has something to read.

_4/11_

_I end up going to school today. As I was walking towards the school, I overheard students talking about a transfer student who has a criminal record. If they don't want me in their school, I won't go to school. Or at least that's what I thought. During lunchtime the cops found me and ordered me to go to school along with some blonde kid by the name or Ryuji Sakamoto. We talked on the way to the school and became acquaintances. I hope the rumors about me don't drive him away, he seems cool._

Not a total lie.

**So there is chapter 5! I hope you guys liked it. In this story, I'm gonna make Kamoshida an absolute asshole in this because of what he does later on. I hate this guy and in the beginning, I had those 'intense feels'. I will elaborate when it comes to that so yeah. Anyway, I hope you guys like this. Bye-bye!**


	6. Chapter 6 - Chariot

**Hey guys! So, in this chapter you will get more insight of what Kamoshida really is. I think that next chapter I will start putting warnings up due to what is happening. This chapter will have those undertones but not to the extent of the chapters soon to come. I hope you guys are okay with this. Also, this is a long chapter. Anyway, onto the chapter!**

**Note: This is a re-upload of this chapter. I don't know what happened but it glitched out. I hope this works though!**

I wake up to me back in the Velvet Room. Nothing really important to retell in full so here is the abridged version. I have awakened to interesting powers, I'm gonna have to go through 'rehabilitation', whatever the fuck that is, a persona is a mask that your heart wears, Nose is the one who put the damn app on my phone, the place is called, 'the Metaverse', and lastly if there are other people who will prove beneficial to me, Nose will grant them access to the Metaverse. Told you it wasn't that important.

4/12

I got up and started getting changed into my uniform. Nose's words about the app makes my head wander from idea to idea. I should just leave the app as it is until destiny comes and bites me in the ass. Walking down the stairs with a mini umbrella in my hand, I see Sojiro fixing up a cigarette and a plate of curry and rice. "Oh, you're up. Here's your food. I'm gonna go out for a quick smoke then open up the store. Be sure to put the dish in the sink when you're done and get to school this time, understand?" His voice was stern. I nod as he walks out of the store and begins to smoke. It took about fifteen minutes for me to eat and leave. Taking the same path as I did yesterday, I ended up at the school with zero sights of any castle. Reluctantly, I walk into the building and to my class.

"I'm the social studies teacher Mr. Ushimaru. I will be teaching you the rules of society this year." the obese teacher begins. Sounds promising enough. "Hmph... you all look like you've been spoiled growing up. Before we learn about society's rules, maybe I should start with the rules of being a decent human being." I was wrong. "Hey, new kid." Oh, I hate you now. Fuck you Ushimaru. "The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts. A soul is composed of appetite, spirit, and what else?" His gaze focuses on me as I just kept my expressionless mask on. This question is easy. No matter where in the world you live in, a Greek question will be asked. "Logic," I say and return to doodling in the corner of my book. "Correct. So you knew that, huh?" his praise goes unwanted by me as I started to zone out. It only lasted a moment as students began talking about me. Asking stuff like, 'Is she really a delinquent?' or, 'Maybe she's actually serious about studying?'.

The whole day was boring. I don't know why Japan makes their school system boring as fuck. "Hey there, Takamaki," I hear as I exit the classroom. It was Kamoshida talking to the foreigner. "You looking for a ride home? Things have been really dangerous lately with all those accidents." His arm reaches over her shoulder as she shudders. "Sorry I have a photoshoot today. It's for the special summer issue, so I can't afford to miss it..." Takamaki fiddles with her hands as if to keep her mind off him. "Hey, now... being a model's fine and dandy, but don't work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned that you weren't feeling well, right? Something about appendicitus?" His worry seemed fake but the comment before he said that seemed true. Just judging by his tone and mannerisms, I can get a feeling that he's a pedophile. "Yes, I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I've been too busy... sorry to worry you." I can also tell that Takamaki is uncomfortable about him looming over her. "You must feel lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often. That's why I asked you to go out with me in the first place. Oh, and... be careful around that transfer student. She's got a criminal record, after all. She may look innocent but, if something were to happen to you..." He trails off as she nods. "...Thank you. Please excuse me." And with that, he allowed her to leave. He gives a pissed off look and leaves.

I take this chance and leave. I hate that guy already. The moment I step out of the gate, I hear something to my right. "Yo," It was Ryuji with his shit-eating grin. "What's up, dude?" I ask as his grin softened, "I wanna talk about that castle from yesterday. I tried tellin' myself it was all just a dream... but I couldn't do it. I can't act like nothing happened . It's all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all. I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what. And y'know, you're the only one I can rely on with this stuff. So, you in?". I knew destiny would bite me in the ass. "I was actually thinking about finding a way in there again. I guess you can tag along." I lied as his eyes light up. The two of us begin to retrace our steps from yesterday while I get bored of it quick. WE'RE DOING THIS SHIT TWICE! I could've just use the app earlier but I wanted to know if destiny would do it again. Wrong choice.

"Is it smaller than we think it is? What do you think Akano?" Ryuji sighs inwardly and I just collapse on my ass. I don't care, my legs are aching. You know what, fuck destiny. "I got a weird app on my phone. Care to check it out Ryuji?" I unlock it and push it into his hand. "What does that have to do with this?" He asks as it looks like a lightbulb turned on, "Wait, phone... didn't you have a navigation app on this back then?" Yes, he catched onto it. "Look for it. You got my phone." Yawning, I fall on my back as he looks through my phone. Snickers and chuckles escape from his mouth and I glare at him, "What are you looking at?" My tone was cold and annoyed and he showed me what was on my phone. He was on my gallery, LOOKING AT ALL MY PHOTOS OF MY ANIME BOYFRIENDS!? "Hey! I said look for the app! Not my gallery!" I try to take my phone off of him but he just holds it up above his head. Damn my short stature. "Haha! I had a feeling you were an otaku, didn't think you were this obssessed over it." His teasing went too far. I kicked him in his balls, making him drop my phone and clench his junk.

I grab my phone before it could hit the pavement as I watched Ryuji grovel in pain. "You've crossed the line, Ryuji." I fold my arms and face away from him as he begins to apologize profusely while moaning and groaning in pain. Great, now I feel bad. "I'll let you off the hook if you forget what you saw on my phone and look for that app. It appears in random places everyday." I help him up and hand him the phone. He does so, still tensed but regaining strength to stand still, as his eyes widen. "Um... what's this red eyeball-looking thing?" He questions meekly and I look on the phone. Surely, that's the right one. But, I want to mess with him a bit. "Cute logo, huh?" I nudge him as he shudders. "If you think cute is what I think creepy is, more power to you." Ryuji clicks on the app as it displays a basic navigation setup. He praises himself and I just sigh. He starts the navigation.

_Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle..._

The world around us warps into the place from before. We're in the Metaverse, as Nose calls it. "Look! It's the castle from yesterday!" And with that, my bleach haird friend rushes up to the door and I follow. "We made it back... that means what happened yesterday was real too..." his body turns around but immediately jumps back. "Yeargh! Those clothes...!" I look at my arms, legs, and chest and see that I'm not in my uniform. Guess I have to get used to it. "That happened last time too huh? What's with that outfit!?" Ryuji looks at me up and down with a weird look. Time for my last bit of pay back. "Does this outfit make me look hot?" I do a quick sexy pose that made him go red from ear to ear which makes me giggle.

"Hey." A familiar voice popped up. It was Morgana. "Stop making a commotion." He scolds Ryuji as Ryuji gets taken aback. "The shadows started acting up so I came here wondering what it could be... to think you two would come back to the entrance after you barely managed to escape." Ryuji began questioning the cat figure about the castle which lead to Morgana saying the same shit twice. This castle is how Kamoshida views the school and he sees himself as the king of it all. Fucking pedophile asshole thinks he can do this shit!? "Lady Akano, did you get it?" Morgana looks at me with hope in his eyes, "'Lady' Akano? Meh, whatever floats your boat. Anyway, I did get it. In simpler terms, so Ryuji can get it, the bitch sees him as the king of the school so the school is a castle in this world." My explanation makes Morgana get all giddy. "I knew that Lady Akano would get it!" Just then, a loud moan came from the castle followed by multiple. They sound like they're in agony.

The blonde student began to question it as Morgana told us it was the slaves here. The feline explains this is apart of the castle on a daily basis which twitches both Ryuji's and my anger. He starts banging on the door, taunting Kamoshida to come out to no avail. An idea popped into the blonde boy and told the cat. It was to take him to where the slaves were kept. "...Well, I guess I could guide you only if Lady Akano comes with us." More of destiny barging in and beating me senselessly. I nod as the three of us traversed through the castle. The cat taught us about skills of how to be a phantom thief like all out attacks, sneaking up on enemies, and that fake guns that look real will act as normal guns. I say that because Ryuji handed me a toy gun that didn't have an orange tip and it worked like a charm. Other things to not is that a few times Ryuji was falling behind and was limping as well. I offered to hold his hand so he wouldn't fall behind and be attacked by shadow but he always refused and would run ahead. I'm worried about him.

After some time, we made it to a place called, 'Kamoshida's Training Hall Of Love'. The name of the place is enough for both Ryuji and I to feel disgusted. We entered and saw a gruesome scene. Giant cells that looked like mini volleyball courts. What were in every cells were students getting beaten relentlessly by guards. The first one had the students hanging on the net like they we towels by their feet and the guards punching them, leaving them with dark bruises. The second one had students running on a large treadmill with spikes on the end where the treadmill was heading and a teapot was hanging from the ceiling. Third and last one was the horrible one. The student was hanging from the ceiling from his feet and being hit by volleyballs being shot out of a canon. I couldn't believe it. The scene made me want to vomit out Sojiro's curry, it was so disturbing.

"Dammit! This is bullshit!" Ryuji screamed as I just stood in place with my eyes wide open, glue to the scene. The feline companion scolded him for yelling but didn't listen. "But this is beyond messed up! How do I open this...?" He begins to pull on the bars, as if they are going to come off. "Stop it...!" a bruised up student stands in front of me, behind the bars, while holding his arm. It looked swollen. "Leave us alone... it's useless..." the young boys plea was soft, hurt, and weak all at the same time. Another one comes and stand in front of Ryuji, also behind the bars, but he was on the brink of falling. "If we stay obedient, we won't be executed like you guys!" He tried to pry Ryuji's hand off the bars but to no avail as he couldn't get a good grip on his fingers. "You're tellin' me you wanna stay in a place like this!?" Just then Morgana started to get annoyed. "Wait a minute... Were you planning on taking these guys out of here?" That was his plan? Really? "Ryuji. We can't save them... I know how you feel but they aren't real. Remember what Morgana said that this is how he views the school? Well, this is how he must see the students..." The thought of that bastard hurting others like this is unacceptable. "Lady Akano is right Ryuji. These are his cognition of the students, different from the two of you. You can say that these are extremely similar-looking dolls."

"Still, this is horrible. It must mean he treats them as slaves in the real world too." Morgan jumps on my head and I just stand there, with anger boiling. "How dare that bastard!? No one deserves such a fate!" Ryuji saw the anger in my eyes as he told me to calm down. He tries to pull out his phone camera but it doesn't work. Looks like the only app that works is the nav. "I'm gonna memorize these guys faces. We'll get to the bottom of this and make sure that asshole pays." And with that, he goes to every cell and observe the students. His face was calm but I know he's spitting with rage. "Lady Akano, how're you holding up?" Morgana asks, still on my head, as I shrug. "I can't explain how much I wanna puke. Looks like I was right to think he was dangerous..." I trail off, taking Morgana from the top of my head and hugging it close. "Er... Lady Akano..." His efforts was useless. I kept clinging to him tight. I don't know why I'm doing this but I feel a sense of familiarity from hugging him.

"I'm done, let's- Am I interrupting something?" Ryuji towered over me and Morgana with questionable expression. "No it's fine. I just need to hug something soft to get my mind off this stuff and Morgana was on my head." I answer while letting go of my feline friend. "A-Anyways, let's get out of here before the shadows come here." And with Morgana's word, the three of us leave. We have to go through the main hall to get to the open vent. I wish we didn't have too. The other Kamoshida was there along with three guards, blocking our path. "...You knaves again? To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless!" his taunt was the weakest shit I've ever heard. "The school ain't your castle! I've memorized their faces real good. You're goin' down!" Ryuji huffed as I took out my knife from its holster. "It seems it true when they say 'barking dogs seldom bite'. How far the star runner of the track team has fallen." This comment really got under skin as he got visibly angry.

"I speak of the 'Track Traitor' who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams. Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your... selfish act." His words sent alarm bells in my head. "Ryuji... what is he talking about...? Track traitor... violence...!?" I look at him with a look saying, 'Tell me the truth', but he just turns his head away in shame. "What a surprise. So you're accompanying him without knowing anything at all? He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever." My gave was still focused on Ryuji. He was just standing there. "Ryuji! Tell me, please! Please tell me what's going on!?" I run up to him, shaking his shoulders as he does nothing. Tears slowly started to fall.

"... -ot true..." He mumbled as my anger filled gaze turned to Kamoshida. "You've come along with this fool and now you're going to end up dead. How unlucky are you... unless you decide to come with me and leave him be..." What a disgusting man. I just continue to glare at him as he sighs. "Go. Kill them all. Don't sully my castle with garbage." And with Kamoshida's word, two of the guards turned into horse with two horns. What the fuck. "Ryuji, move!" Morgana pushes him away as more horses surrounded us. They charged at us. Starting with Morgana, then me.

"Rgh... you piece of-" He was caught off by a guard stepping on his small back. "Ugh... Morgana!" I reach out to him but was stopped by two guards. They held my arms while stepping on my feet so I wouldn't move. "I bet you simply came her on a whim and ended up like this. Isn't that right?" Kamoshida walks towards me while keeping his gaze on Ryuji. "You know, my offer still stands..." His dirty hands trail my face. "Go fuck yourself." I spat as he grunts and punches my gut. "Ugh! You fucking bitch..." I groan and fell on the floor. One of the guards that held my up stepped on my back, preventing me to crawl away. "No... Akano..." Ryuji mutters as he looks into my eyes. They were filled with tears from the pain. "What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly. How dare you raise your hand at me. Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?" Kamoshida smirks, changing places with the guard that held Morgana down. "Wasn't no practice - it was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!" The only real human who wasn't confined in one spot started groveling.

"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me! That coach that got fired was hopeless too... had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg." Wait, don't tell me... Ryuji had the same exact face plastered on him. "Do you need me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!" No wonder why Ryuji would fall behind or limp, this motherfucker broke his leg! "Dammit... am gonna lose again...? Not only I can not run anymore... the track team is gone too because of this asshole...!" Ryuji... no... "Once these two are dealt with, you're next." He maniacally laughed while stomping on Morgana more. "Ryuji!" The cat called, drawing the ex-runners attention. "Don't let this asshole win, Ryuji! Stand up for yourself!" I yelled as loud as I can but my head was shot to floor because of the guard. "... You're right. Everything that was important to me was taken by him... I'll never get them back!" He tried standing up. "Stay there and watch. Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you!"

"No... that's what you are... all you think of is using people... you're the really scumbag Kamoshida!" With a little limp, he walked forward while ignoring Kamoshida's words after. With his finger pointed directed into the bastard's face, he spat,"Stop looking down on me with that stupid smile on your face!"

3rd Person POV

"You made me wait quite a while."

The blonde student fell to the floor with an intense headache. Eyes begin to glow yellow.

"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist a flag and wreak havoc...? The other you within desires it thus..."

Rolling even more, the voice continues.

"I am thou, thou art I... there is no turning back... the skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"

A skull mask appears on his face. The guard readys his sword, about to cut off the young girl's head off. "What can you do? Cower in fear and watch!"

"Aah... nnnngh... HRAAAAAAAAAGH...!" With the ripping of his mask, blue flames were blasted from him, sending everyone who was standing flying. Once the blue flames dissolved, it revealed a figure of a pirate riding a skateboard. Beneath that was Ryuji Sakamoto, dawned with an outfit meant for modern pirates. Jerking his head up, it sent fear into the supposed 'King' and his knights. "Right on... wassup, persona... this effin' rocks! Now that I got this power, it's time for payback... yo, I'm ready... bring it!" The three persona users looked at their enemies with an intense exasperation. "Ngh... don't mock me, you brat!" One of the guards transmogrifies into a dark night on a horse. "Blast them away... Captain Kidd!" and so the battle begins.

Akano's POV

So Ryuji had a persona, huh? Ugh, no time to think of it! We have to fight! Immediately, the shadow summons one of those horse things but it was knocked down by Ryuji hitting it with it's weakness, electricity. We continued duke it out until the shadow faded. "How 'bout that?" Ryuji smirked in Kamoshida's direction as he just scoffed. "Even if you apologize now... I ain't forgivin' you..." my fellow persona user was panting heavily as I came to pat his back. "I told you that this is my castle. It seems you still don't understand..." As soon as he said that, a figure appeared. It was a girl wearing pink heals, a pink leopard print bikini, pink cat ears, and a pink tiara. Her hair was blonde and in two giant pigtails which complemented her bright blue eyes. Wait, the foreigner, Takamaki! "Wh- Takamaki!?" Ryuji's face went beet red as Morgana awed at her. She began rubbing herself onto him which made me pissed. This is how he sees her!? You've got to be pulling fucking me sideways, SHE'S ONLY 16!? "What's going on...!?" Ryuji questioned, still looking on at the girl in a bikini.

The teacher reached out for her chin and held it up as he wrapped his arm around her figure. "Hey! Let go of her, you perv!" he was about to rush in and tear them away but I stopped him. "Ryuji, that isn't Takamaki. It's another doll." I reassured him as he gives a slight nod. More guards appear which makes the three of us run for the vent. Eventually, we made it out of the castle and stood in front of the gate. Ryuji starts to question about his attire as Morgana tries to get him to shut up. "It suits you Ryuji," I wink at him as his face turns pink. Hehe, I think I might keep on doing this. "Wait, we're in deep shit!" he gasped as Morgana looks on, very annoyed at him. "We might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with the Kamoshida at the real school..." And thus, Ryuji asks a stupid question. Morgana explains we're safe since Kamoshida doesn't know what's going on in his palace. That's a little reassuring.

"Now, I guided you as promised. It's your turn to cooperate with me. That's why I was so nice to teach you Ryuji about this stuff. Lady Akano is an exception due to the fact that she knows more stuff than you." Morgana says as he jumps on my head again. I'm getting used to it, he isn't heavy either. Ryuji just looks dumbfounded at him. "Don't you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and reclaim my real form! Which is why we must delve deep into Mementos and-" The cat was interrupted by Ryuji asking about he was saying. This left him annoyed as he looked up at me, "Lady Akano, I know I shouldn't be asking a lady this but, you're the only persona user I know who looks promising. So please, would you help me?" Before I could answer, Ryuji grips my arm and drags me away from Morgana.

_"You have returned to the real world, welcome back."_

We somehow got back to reality. Meh, best not to question it. "Sorry Akano... I just felt like you should accept that cat's request. You don't owe it anything, like me." Ryuji apologizes while releasing my arm from his grasp. "It's all good. You didn't even held on hard anyway." I told him as his shit-eating grin returns. "Ugh... I'm dead tried... how're you holding up?" He looks at me and I yawned. "That answers my question. But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good. I totally remember the faces of the guys Kamoshida was treatin' like slaves. Once we make 'em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done. So, wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?" his question was sincere. He held his hand out for me to shake and I accepted it, "You're gonna stick with me through the year, huh? Well, through thick and thin, dude!" I smile as he returns it.

"Hey, so... you thinking of laying low 'cause of your record, huh? I don't think that will change though. School's have you pegged as a criminal, everyone knows about it." that just irks me. How do these motherfuckers know this quick!? "How did that happen?" I ask as his face turned. Apparently it was that asshole. "What the fuck!? He's a teacher, why would he go on and do shit like that?" "I don't know why, but only a teacher could've leaked that fast! It doesn't matter if it's a student or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn't agree with. Just like he did with me...!" I couldn't help but look at his leg. I can tell which leg was broken, too. His left one. "No one'll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumors about him gettin' physical might be real. And after seein' Kamoshida's distorted-heart thing in person, there's no way I can just sit back!" His eyes flared with determination. He's right. I know how it feels to be hurt. If I have the chance to stop the from getting hurt, I'll take it no questions asked. Even if the situations are different, that doesn't mean shit.

"Of course. We have to do something about this, Ryuji." My eyes flared with the same determination as his. "Thanks for helping me. I'm counting on you! Don't worry; I'm hyped about this too!" He gives me a reassuring smile which warms my heart.

_I can sense a bond of trust from Ryuji..._

_Back to the interrogation room..._

Sae's brown eyes burned into my soul. "Acting as a Phantom Thief would've been more efficient alone. You could've gone about it that way... however, you did not. There are merits to having associates... that's what you've decided. Am I wrong?"

_Back to the game..._

_I am thou, thou art I..._  
_Thou hast acquired a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion _  
_that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Chariot Persona,_  
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_  
_shall lead to freedom and new power..._

Chariot? Where have I heard that from? I know I know about it but I just can't fully remember.

*GRUMBLE*

"What the-" I start as Ryuji clenches his stomach. "Oh... Right. I haven't eaten anything since lunch. It'd be weird splittin' off now, so why don't grab a bite somewhere?" Now that I think about it, I didn't pack lunch. Plus, I don't say no to food when someone offers. "Sure, why not? I don't care what Sojiro tells my probation officer so, where we headin'?" I ask as he smirks. "You'll see. C'mon! Plus, I want to know about your past!" He's excited for nothing. Anyway, I'm hungry so I don't care if I tell him how the fuck I'm here. I just hope he doesn't make a scene...

_Shibuya Central Street, Ore no Beko..._

"WHAT!? The hell, man! How shittier can that asshole get!?" Ryuji overreacted. The one thing I didn't want him to do. "Calm down. You're making a scene..." I look around and a few eyes lock onto us, "I don't care! You got a criminal record just from helping someone! If it was me, I wouldn't calm down until I punched that dick in the face!" He... really thinks that? Seriously...? "So... you left your hometown, and... now you're livin' here now, huh?" I don't know what pisses me off more. Him yelling or him talking while eating. "We might be more alike than I originally thought." He says as he swallows the food in his mouth. I crack an egg on my second beef bowl while giving him a confused look, "What did you do?"I don't know why my tone sounds so harsh, but it does. "I don't got a record like you do. I mean, that's not the point. I guess it's how we're treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us, like we don't belong. I did something stupid at school before, too." He finishes his beef bowl and plants his bowl on the counter.

"The place you're livin' now is in... Yongen, right? It's rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill some time before headin' home. Wait, what the hell, man. You barely touched your food." He begins to put ginger on my beef bowl. "Hey! I can do that myself... plus, what are you talking about? This is my second bowl. I'm gonna go for a third one!" I smack his hand away an begin eating fast. "Okay. I'll pay for your third one, too." What? I get three beef bowls for free? Eh, I don't got any money so I can't say no. "Thanks..." I mumble loud enough for him to hear as he smiles. I'll pay you back when I get cash. "Anyways, I got your back like you got mine from tomorrow on, Aka~Tan!" My face flushes when he said 'Aka~Tan'. Where the hell did that come from... "Aka~Tan? You okay...?" He had to use 'Aka~Tan' again. Ugh! Why do I care about what he calls me? "I-I'm fine Ryuji!" I give him wryly smile as he nods. "As long as we do something about Kamoshida, I'm sure we'll both feel better about bein' at school. Oh, yeah! Give me your number and chat ID too! This way we can talk without being there physically." We then begin to exchange numbers and buys me a third beef bowl.

He waves bye and I do the same. I ask the guy if I could take it to go as he obliges and puts the food in a disposable container, then in a plastic bag, and hands it to me. Hmm, Ryuji said I should kill some time before getting home. Should I look at the underground mall? Meh, might as well. Just then, my body begins to feel fatigued. Ugh, I felt this before. I reach into my bag and took out a tiny plastic bag of gummy bears. This is the stuff I can eat without throwing up. I eat about ten and place the rest back in my bag. I have to eat these due to the fact that the doctor back home said I have hypoglycemia. It isn't serious, I don't have diabetes but it's the start of it if I don't eat these gummy bears when needed. He said it'll go away after a few weeks so I have nothing to worry about. After just a few seconds, I start to feel a little better. It's just another episode. Which reminds me that I have to talk to another doctor to see if I can stop eating these gummy bears.

_~Time Skip~_

I make it back home to see Sojiro sitting down doing a crossword. He asks if I went to school and I nod. I also told him about the episode as he nods and hands me and extra bag of gummy bears. He said that Kenny came by to drop them off while also reading the journal. He then drones on about how my life isn't free, yadah, yadah, yadah. All that bullshit and told me to go upstairs to get some rest especially after what happened. I listen as I go up and change into my nightie.

**Hey guys! I know that this is a long chapter but I wanted to have Ryuji's confidant started in this chapter. It is because the next chapter we peer into what Kamoshida does for fun on a daily basis. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Also, about Akano having a hypoglycemia is related to when she she was getting arrested. After getting a criminal record, she was in a state to where her blood sugar dropped. Her doctor wanted to monitor her but couldn't due to the fact that she had to go to Shibuya. So he sent her medical records to the doctor closest to Leblanc, Takemi, so that Akano can be monitored. And that's the story on why Akano has hypoglycemia. This won't affect the story unless I change some small things but I want there to be more outside influence in the story. I also got inspired from my favorite design of a persona character, Kanami Mashita from Persona 4 Dancing All Night. It's implied that she has hypoglycemia as well so I wanted to try it out. Anyway, that's all I have to say. Bye-bye! **


	7. Chapter 7 - Reason 1

**Hey guys! I promised you guys that next chapter will be about Kamoshida and this is what this chapter is. I know that almost everyone hates this guy, and don't worry because I hate this bastard too. Also, this chapter is going to have a warning from the start for the sole purpose that this chapter contains physical and sexual assault with some themes of pedophilia. If you have been through these events, I advise you to skip this chapter. I don't wish to be the cause of someone having flashbacks of what happened to them and have them relive their trauma. So that is all I have to say. If you are reading this chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

Kamoshida's POV

"In third place we have... Matsuda Garokin!" Matsuda walks up to the podium and receives his bronze medal. "Second is... Kure Sanjiro!" Kure follows suit to obtain his silver medal. The time has come. "And in first place, I have to honor to gift this to... Suguru Kamoshida!" Did I hear that right? My name? The boys started patting my back to show their support as I walk up and take my gold medal. I feel powerful up here. I feel... like a king...

_One Year Later..._

I was offered a job at Shujin Academy in Shibuya to be a teacher aid fro the gym classes. They said that I can take the offer up any time, so I can decide later. This past year has been nothing productive. No one told that once you win the gold, it will end up like this. I'm in debt, I have no job, no one is treating me like the star I am, it's like, they forgot me. I run my fingers through my hair and flipped a page in the magazine in my hands. My eyes caught onto something. A picture of a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes in a really revealing bikini. Underneath her photo is an interview she had with the magazine company. But I've got to say, she's so stunning. Her curves and everything, are they photo-shopped? It doesn't look like it. Gah! What am I thinking? She may be younger than me,and it sounds creepy. Even so, I just can't stop gawking at her. What's her name? I read a bit of the text below her photo. _'Ann Takamaki'_ It reads. So her name is Ann Takamaki? I rip the page out and place it in a shoe box nearby.

_Six Months Later..._

C'mon where is her picture? Here! It was Ann in a maid outfit in a very seductive pose. This gave me the chance to look at almost all of her curves. The clothes were tight on her and her legs seem to go on forever. Who is this girl? I need to find her. Ripping out the page, I put it in the shoe box labelled, _'Ann'_. The box was filled to the brim of all of her photos. Most were in bikinis while some of them were in trendy clothes. My stomach began to growl as I looked n the fridge. Nothing. Guess I have to go shopping.

I enter the department store and head for the packaged meals. They were all over 1600 yen. I look in my wallet and saw a fly come out. I need a job. An idea then popped in my head. The Shujin principal said I can start whenever. I go to put the trolley back but I bump into someone. "Gah! I'm so sorry sir!" I can't believe it... it's Ann! "Ann! C'mon let's go and pay!" Another girl with black hair called out to Ann. "Okay! Coming Shiho!" and with that, the girl of my dreams runs away. Now that think of it, she's shorter than I thought. In all those photos, she looked much older. Meh, her curves seemed to be unchanged though.

I went home straight away to call the school and they said I can start next week Monday. Yes, I will finally have cash. I need to pour out my happiness... aha! I pull out the Ann shoe box and peered through all the photos while tending to something else...

_Next Monday..._

"Everyone, this is the newest member of our faculty. Please give a warm welcome to gold medalist, Suguru Kamoshida!" Principal Kobayakawa called me up to the front as I follow suit. "It's nice to meet all of you. I want you guys to strive for your best in whatever you do, be it academically or sporty! If you ever need any help, please come and see me. I am happy to help." I spoke and got off the stage. That was a good opening. I just did whatever I thought was good though. "All right Kamoshida~San. It's time to get to work. I need you to help me supervise both track practice as well as volleyball. I'll leave you with the training regimens for the next two weeks. This will be a test to see if you can be a good coach." my higher up told me as I gave him a salute and walked away.

_Two Months Later..._

The volleyball team is doing really well. They might even be going to nationals. The track team, not so much. The only good people on there is a third year named Yamaguchi and a first year named Sakamoto. The rest of the team suck. I walk out the gym and bump into someone. "Ow... Oh! I'm sorry Kamoshida~San! I just came to pick up Shiho." That voice. I look up and see Ann standing in front of me. She's a student at this school... she even has the first year button on her blazer. "Of course Takamaki~San. Let me get out of your way. I smile at her as she bows and walks to Suzui who just came out of the locker room. My mind begins to wander. Is it right for me to continue doing what I'm doing? Is it right for me to have Ann's model photos in my room in the shoe box? Gah! This is so frustrating!

I walk over to get my bag from the PE faculty office as my mind keeps thinking about Ann. "Ann... is it right for me to see you as a source of pleasure...?" "What did you say!?" I turn around and see the gym teacher, staring at me dead in the eyes. "Are you talking about Ann Takamaki? What do you mean, 'source of pleasure'? I'm reporting you to Principal Kobayakawa. He'll get you fired you child sex offender!" He stormed off. What am I going to do? I'm going to get fired... wait, Kabayakawa won't be back until Monday, two days from now. I can frame him... yes, yes! It could work! I just have to come here on Sunday and plant it in his desk!

_Monday..._

I did it. The shoe box has been planted. Now it's time to wait. "Mr. Kamoshida, can I have a word with you?" I was filling out paper work in the PE faculty office only to be interrupted by the obese principal and the gym teacher who ratted me out. "Sir here has told me that you see a student of ours as a 'source of pleasure'. If you don't mind, the police will search you house and bag for anything incriminating. If you have anything to say that will shorten the search or stop it completely, say it now. You've been a good teacher, and I don't want to lose another good teacher." "Sir! I think there is something you need to see before the police search me." I open the guys desk drawer as it showed the shoe box without the lid. Kobayakawa looked disgusted at the image and the gym teacher looked at me with this ugly look.

_Next Month..._

The police took the gym teacher to jail on count of being a sex offender. Ann didn't know about what happened, they thought it was for the best. I got promoted to head gym teacher and was in full control of both track and volleyball teams. We got a new member joining the volleyball team, Yuuki Mishima. He doesn't know how to play but I heard he can have information spread out like wild fire. Sounds useful. I also dug up some dirt on Sakamoto from the track team, he only has his mom. His dad left him. Also useful. After that day, I saw that asserting my dominance was amazing. I used that on both teams and it just feels so good. Because of this, the volleyball team is prospering while the track team is falling behind. Time to get rid of that eyesore.

_*TWINGE*_

_Five Days Later..._

Sakamoto! Get over here right now!" I called Sakamoto up to me as he starts to limp towards me. "Your performance is lacking! You need to improve your posture and technique!" I give him a back hand and a punch in the gut, making him groan in pain. Amusing. "And what you can't do is blame it on YOUR NON-EXISTENT FATHER!" I laugh maniacally as the team gasps. Sakamoto goes wide-eyed and glares right at me. With all his rage, his fist collides with my face. "Gr... your going to pay for that you son of a bitch!" I shove him to the ground and planted my foot on his lower leg, putting more pressure every second. Sakamoto was yelling in pain but that didn't stop me.

_*CRACK*_

With a chuckle, I leave the gym. Serves that little shit right.

_The Next Day..._

Sakamoto's mother got yelled at for what 'her son' has done. The track team got taken off as a team people began avoiding Sakamoto. He bleached his hair and started skipping classes. Turned into a delinquent, just as my plan said.

_Three Weeks Later..._

Volleyball practice became a daily thing. Ann came by to pick up Suzui on some days and that led me to wonder, _'She seems lonely... this is time for plan b to go into motion...' _

_The Next Day..._

"Hey, Takamaki!" I approach Takamaki with the halls empty as she looks curiously at me. "Mr. Kamoshida? What do you need?" her voice was light but also alluring in a way. "I see you picking up Suzui from practice on some days and that makes me wonder, if you feel lonely." She nods at this, making me smirk. "How about I play hooky today and the two of us go out on the two together. Just me and you." her expression changes but before she could say anything, I take her arm and lead her on our first date. Finally, I'm with the girl I've been dreaming about.

The date ends with me dropping her off at her house. "T-Thank you Mr. Kamoshida. But, I feel uncomfortable dating a teacher so, this is just a one time thing..." I lock the doors. Her expression showed fear. "Takamaki... I guess I have to use this. I didn't want to but I have to now. Will you be my girlfriend?" I got to her ear. "If you say no, something might happen to poor Suzui..." It took a minute for her to nod at the question as I smile. "You make me happy Takamaki..." I lean in towards her face and as my lips connected with hers, I knew we were made to be together. "Now, get on inside babe." I unlock the doors as she ran inside.

_April 1st, 2016..._

I got informed about a transfer student coming into the school. Apparently she has a criminal record. This won't be good. Just then, an idea popped into my head...

_April 11th, 2016_

I walk outside because I saw the councilor going out. What I see is an unfamiliar student standing near Sakamoto. "Kamoshida?!" Sakamoto freaks out a little, making me chuckle. "You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite the difference from when you did morning practice with the track team." The moment I said that, he went hysterical. The councilor had to take him to his office. "Are you Akano Kurusu? The transfer student?" I ask as she nods. Hmm, not bad. Her rack is nice too. "C'mon, I'll give you a tour." She walks up the stairs and began to show her around the school. She may be she'll be better than Ann. Maybe...

**Hey guys! So, this chapter was kinda hard to write due to the fact that I don't know what a pedophile thinks or acts and I don't want to know. I tried to make him sound like a normal person with an obvious problem and I did my best. Tell me, did I do good? And if you think this chapter wasn't that bad, well, I'll just say that I'm not a victim of this stuff nor do I know anyone who's been through this so I don't know much about this stuff. Still, I wanted to make at least one chapter that describes the villains such as this one. There will be one for Madarame, Kaneshiro, etc. Now the next chapter will be back on focus with Akano with Kamoshida making a few appearances. Hoo, boy. These up coming chapters will hurt me since the scenes in-game made me cry. You know what I'm talking about if you played or watched the anime. Anyway, I'll update soon. Bye bye!**


	8. AN (DeviantArt)

**Hey guys! So this is an A/N that will be posted on both Persona 4 (V) Female Protagonist and Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition. I have come to announce that I now have a DeviantArt to hold all my artwork for these two fanfics as well as for my own original stories that will be on Wattpad after completing Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition. Now, this is a chance for me to get better at art and taking criticism while doing so. I've been mainly getting feedback from friends and family and I need more to grow as an artist. I don't know if I'm going to pursue art in the future but it is a skill I would like to hone. The reason why I'm doing this is mainly because I'm doing an art piece of Yui and re-drawing Akano in her phantom thief outfit as well as her school uniform. And I will be deleting the chapter announcing that the art pieces are on Wattpad (and the chapter itself). I know it hasn't officially been a month but I'm gonna do it. Anyway, that's the announcement I wanted to say. Bye~Bye!**


	9. Chapter 8 - Getting Clues

**Hey guys! So, here is chapter 8! Sorry it's been taking a while for Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition chapters compared to the Persona 4 (V) Female Protagonist chapters but I've been busy and I have an immense love for Persona 4 Vanilla, Persona 4 Golden though, Marie kinda made me not like it. But anyway, as I'm writing this, I actually just watched Persona 5 The Royal PV#2 and Pancakes trailer and dudes, I am hyped! I can tell that Persona 5 The Royal won't let me down like Persona 4 Golden did. Anyway, I'm rambling. I can ramble after you read this chapter. **

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." I wake up to hear that creepy deep voice. Nose, why am I here? I stand and walk to the bars.

"I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you." I have to sleep Nose. LET ME SLEEP!

"What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?" "Don't be stupid. You summon me here in my sleep, when I need it most." My voice was as loud as ever. "You've got some nerve, Inmate!" Caroline whips the bars, as she was aiming for my hand but I moved it in time. "I imagine you have many reservations about returning here from your joyous, everyday life." Well, that's why I get, got salt rubbed in the wound.

"Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today, you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven't you?"

"You're talking about Ryuji, right?"

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity , but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well." Okay, I get it. This year, I will make bonds with people who are like me and Ryuji, not being able to belong anymore.

"Personas are the strength of heart... the stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain" Justine's calm voice takes over for Nose but was replaced by Caroline's harsh words. "There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power." So the stronger my relationships are with others, the stronger I become? Cool! I live a life of a JRPG protagonist!

"Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition. We have a deal then." His chuckle through me off. Though, I feel like he has high expectations of me.

_I am thou, thou art I..._

_Thou hast acquired a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_  
_that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Fool Persona,_  
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_  
_shall lead to freedom and new power..._

The Fool, ay? Okay, I have heard of these things. They are tarot cards. So, my bonds are represented by tarot cards? Alright. I feel power going through me.

Wild Talk= Allows you to negotiate with Shadows after performing a Hold Up  
Arcana Burst= Earn bonus EXP when fusing Personas based on their arcana's Confidant rank.

And with that, I'm back in my room. With a sigh, I get up, get changed, and head down stairs where Sojiro has a plate of, not curry but eggs and bacon, and a cup of coffee waiting for me. "Changed it up since you might've gotten sick of curry." He takes a sip of his coffee as I tell him that I will never get sick of his curry. I ate my breakfast, said farewell to Sojiro, and went my way to school. Once I made it to the school zone, students were talking about the volleyball rally. Good thing I always have my gym wear in my bag at all times.

Time Skip

The rally is about to start. Ugh! Again! The jacket doesn't fit me properly. If I zip it up, my chest will be cramped. Guess I have to zip it up as far as I can without cramping my chest as I stop it just below. It does pop out if I do this but I'm cold. At least the track pants are comfortable. I look around the locker room and saw a girl with black hair tied up in a ponytail with a pink hair tie. She stuck out because of the bruises on her back. Is she apart of the volleyball club? I walk up to her and she turns around and looks at me. "Huh? Am I in the way? Wait, I can't... I'm near the wall. Do you need something?" Her voice was soft but also filled with hurt. "Oh, it's just... the bruises on your back... did something happen?" her face shifted into fear, "Um, thank you for your concern...? It's nothing... I just get bruises easily... anyway, I've got to go!" She zips up her jacket and runs away. I should tell Ryuji what happened.

I step into the gym and see no sign of him. He must still be getting changed. "Ah, Kurusu~San!" Ugh, this guy. "Mr. Kamoshida! How are you?" I hope my acting is convincing, I'm terrible at it... "I'm doing fine. Say, make sure you keep an eye on me. I'll impress you no doubt." His hand rests on the wall next to my head as he stares into my eyes. If he was anyone I actually liked romantically, I probably would've kept quiet. But he isn't, whenever I look at him, I'm reminded of dog shit. "Um, okay... good luck Mr. Kamoshida!" My laugh was stiff but he bought it. He left with leaving a creepy smile burned into my memory. God, I hate this guy. "Aka~Tan!" Thank you, he's finally here. I turn around and saw him just staring at me. It took him a while to gain his composure as the two of us slid our back down the wall.

"Ryuji, do you know a girl who has brown eyes and black hair tied up with a hair tie?" I look at him as he started thinking, "Are you talking about Suzui? Yeah I know her, we went to the same middle school. I think she's in the volleyball team too. Why you ask?". "I saw her in the locker room and there were bruises on her back. Unless she got hit in the back a lot by volleyballs, I think she may be a good source of information." I tell him as his face scowls. Instinctively, I place my hand on his head. He looks at me with a shocked expression and I smile. His face shifted to a smile quickly as the game began. It was boring, nothing really happened. "Still the same as always..." I hear Ryuji mutter. I look where he was looking at and I see the foreigner, Takamaki. Do they know each other? If so, it isn't any of my business unless they tell me themselves. I also notice Mishima backing up. Okay, something is up with him and Suzui.

My eyes return to the game but it ended on a bad note. Dog shit spiked the ball and it hit Mishima. It was so hard that he fell on his ass. Part of me wanted to check up on him but the other part said it won't be a good idea due to the fact he's afraid of me. The students around him take him to the nurse's office while Kamoshida just called for the game to reset. Fuck this guy. "He'll pay soon enough..." Ryuji mumbled as he threw the volleyball towards them. What the hell, I didn't even know that the ball rolled there. "C'mon, let's ditch this shit show." He stood up and left the gym and I followed. I don't want to watch this anymore either. The two of us continue walking until we made it to the courtyard.

"That asshole's actin' like a king over here too... get to know everyone better my ass. It's just a one-man show for him to stroke his ego. And how he acted like he was worried about Mishima? What an abusive d-bag...!" Ryuji was spitting mad. "Calm down Ryuji. I know it's bad but we need to keep our cool. If we don't, we'll look more suspicious and our plan may not work." I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked him dead in the eyes. He nods as his face returned to normal. "... well, anyways. Now's our chance to go look for the guys we saw were slaves yesterday."I nod, getting myself psyched up. "Let's look for the faces we saw at the castle. All the members of the team should be here today. I'll be sure to find someone to spill about Kamoshida's physical abuse. Just you wait, asshole." Ryuji grumbled the last part while making a fist with his hand. I know he's pissed at him so I don't blame him. Huh? He still has the ribbon on his hand? Why hasn't he changed it for a wrap? Eh, it's his choice. "Let's go! Who's first?" I take the hand that didn't have the ribbon on it and started dragging him. "Hmm, let's start with the guy from Class D." "Class D, got it!" and with that, we walked all the way there.

"Hopefully you can get him to talk without any issues. People have been avoidin' me lately so... oh wait, you're in the same boat too..." Yeah no shit Ryuji, let's just get this over with. In Class D, the was a male student that had bandages all over his face. I bet that there's more but they're covered by his gym clothes. "What...? Are you skipping out on the volleyball rally? I guess I expect it from you Kurusu~San..." his voice was muffled, making me feel bad for the guy. "Hey, that's the guy who was over at the castle." Ryuji nudges me as I nod. "You too, Sakamoto! W-What do you two want...?" the unknown boy began trembling in his place. "How did you get injured? I haven't been in a sports team in school before, but I know what's the difference from injuries you get from school teams and a straight up ass-whooping." I was done with shit like this ages ago. If I'm supposed to do this, just keep being blunt. "W-W-What do you mean? This is normal... how will you know!?" the boy's reaction was unprecedented. Like, holy fuck dude. Ryuji stood up to him, questioning further but the injured boy just kept on debunking everything with the argument of, 'No, this is normal', which is some stinky bullshit if I've ever smelt it. "You know what? Let's just go." I drag Ryuji out of the room but I didn't want things to end there. I quickly rushed back and whispered in his ear, "Your just a pussy. If you want things to change, grow some balls and stand up to that asshole." I didn't see his reaction but I thought it was priceless. I didn't mean any ill-harm but, a dude being called a pussy makes them want to do better.

"Damn it! At this rate, the ball game is going to end!" my blonde friend punches the wall in anger. I tell him we should split up and he agreed. I don't want to bore you with the details so, long story short, the volleyball members refused and one of them got defensive when I asked him. He said that, 'If you think Kamoshida is a criminal, think about yourself first'. Like, what the fuck? It's this shit that pisses me off. Ryuji texted me, asking if I got info and I told him everything that happened.

A- Akano R- Ryuji

A- Oh, I almost went apeshit on one of them due to the fact that he said something that if I think  
Kamoshida is a criminal, that I should think of myself before anything.

R- What...? Which one was it?

A- The third year. He's just glad I have to behave.

R- That son of a bitch...

A- Don't do anything harsh about it. I'm used to it.

R- Still, they don't know crap about you and they talk shit about you? That's just cold

A- That's just how life is, don't worry about it. I'll meet you back at the courtyard, seeya.

With a sigh, I turned my phone off and walked towards the courtyard. What I hope is that Ryuji doesn't do anything to that poor third year and that Dog Shit isn't by the courtyard. Oh thank god, no one's here. Ugh! Ryuji's going to be a while, I guess I'll buy a soda. "Kurusu~San, can I speak to you for a bit?" I turn around to see a familiar face. "Takamaki? What up?" "You know me already? Gah, that's not important. Don't worry, this will be quick. What's with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all... there's that weird rumor about you too..." Rumor? What? I have a record or something? What about it!? "Whaddya want with her?" Ryuji pops out from nowhere, giving Takamaki and I a small fright. "Right back at you. You're not even in our class." She puts her hands on her hips which just pissed Ryuji off more. I gave him a look, telling him to leave it be so he cooled down. "We just happened to get to know each other." he sat down on thee nearby bench, "What're you planning on doing to Kamoshida?" What the fuck? How does she know!? It took both Ryuji and I by surprise but he regained his composure.

"I see. I getcha. You're all 'buddy-buddy' with Kamoshida after all." Takamaki's face showed great disgust the moment he did air quotes with 'buddy-buddy'. I think she's hiding something, not just from us but from everyone. "Grah! This had nothing to do with you Sakamoto! I only came to speak to her, not you!" I took a sip from my drink, just enjoying the show. "If you found out what he's doin' behind your back, you'd dump him right away." all of our fists clenched. Is she really dating him? No way, she must be forced to. I can't see that asshole getting a girlfriend in a heartbeat. "Behind my back...? What's that supposed to mean...?" her acting was good, but not good enough to fool me. Yup, she must hate the guy but being forced to be his girlfriend, especially after what happened between those two yesterday. "You wouldn't get it..." Ryuji trailed off while sighing as the three of us were left in an awkward silence. "... I'm just going to tell you two that, people are already talking about the both of you. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but no one's going to help you. I'm warning you, just in case. That's all. Also," she faced at me, staring intently in my eyes, "You, yourself especially be careful around Kamoshida. I've heard rumors about you two and I'm worried." I don't know how to respond to that... she must know something we don't, and I'm going to figure it out.

I nod in affirmation and she leaves. "Why does she have to be so aggressive all the time...?" Huh? You call that aggressive? "You know her?" I put a 180 yen in the vending machine and get the soda that I think Ryuji will like. "We just went to the same middle school." Okay, so that's their relationship. "Cool. Anyway, catch!" I toss him the soda as he thanks me and begins chugging it. "I got zero luck on my end. What about you?" he asks and I shake my head. I begin to think, remembering what I picked up. Just then, something pops into my head. "What about Mishima~Kun? The one who got spiked by Dog Shit." "Why him? I mean, yeah, I see him with bruises but what makes you think he will spill the tea?" he cocked his to the side and I continued to think. "He's a volleyball member, right? He may be our last chance to get some evidence. We can't get stuff out of the guys from the castle, so let's try to broaden our horizons." I look at him and all I see is wonder. "What are you looking at, Ryuji?" "You, just sounded so cool Aka~Tan. Maybe even sexy..." My face goes beet red as he just goes on a laughing fit. I get it, he thinks of this as a comedy show... too bad. With a giggle, my foot slams onto the wall just next to his ear. The sound got to him because he looked at me with terror. A smirk grew on my face as I told him, "You know, you could sound cool if you stopped this whole comedy charade. If not, I wonder what would've happen if I didn't miss on purpose..."

Ryuji's POV

"You know, you could sound cool if you stopped this whole comedy charade. If not, I wonder what would've happen if I didn't miss on purpose..." Holy shit... this girl is scarier than I'd ever imagine. She can say the scariest things ever but continue to have that smile on her face, she's the definition of a savage. "O-O-Okay t-t-then, Aka~Tan! L-Let's go f-f-find M-Mishima." She puts her foot down as the two of us walk to the nurse's office. "Uh, where's the nurse's office again?" my redhead friend started to contemplate about the nurse's office's location. Didn't she get that first aid kit from there from that day? Speaking of which, my hand still has that ribbon on. Why haven't I taken it off yet? And why has no one spoke of it? "Hey, Ryuji!" My thoughts disappeared as Akano's voice took over my mind. "Huh?" Oh great, why did I say that? "Geez, you really weren't listening to me? Anyway, I asked you a question, where's the nurse's office?" she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, looking at me with a small blush on her cheeks. "Uh, this way? Wait a minute..." our attentions were looking forward as we see Mishima leave the nurse's office walking towards the exit.

The two of us nod at each other and ran towards the bluenette. "Mishima~Kun, wait up!" Akano calls out to him as he turns around. His face was full of fear, probably because it's both me and the girl with a criminal record. "K-Kurusu~San! And, Sakamoto...? What do you two need?" "Mishima~Kun, we're going to get straight to the point. You're our only source left and I need you to be honest with me!" She began to beg but also looking serious at him. I guess that took him by surprise because he backed up and his face turned pink. "... about what, K-K-Kurusu~San...?" It's like he can't say her name without pain, but why? "About your and the volleyball team's bruises, you can't get bruises that bad without intense pressure. I know because my auntie was studying how to be a nurse. So don't bullshit with me!" This girl sure is forceful. Hell, she sends shivers down my spine too. "... I don't know what you're talking about! The team is just playing at National level performance... of course we would come out with a few scrapes, this is just what we call 'special coaching'..." And with that he covered his mouth, he let it slip and Akano knows it. "So he's 'special coaching' you guys. You sure it's not just physical abuse?" it's about time I spoke up in this, can't have Akano do all the threats.

"Certainly not!" He's cracking for sure. Akano clenches my hand and squeezes it, as if to send me a message. I look at her as she signals me to keep pushing him for answers. "What're you talkin' all polite for? Anyways... we saw him spike you today, right in the face." another squeeze from the redhead, but it was softer than the first one. "That was just because I'm not good at the sport..." that excuse didn't go by with Akano. "If you're not good at the sport, why are you still on the team? This is either bullshit or Stockholm Syndrome, which is it?" Just as Mishima was about to say something, Akano turns her head to the left as her eyes widen. She starts to clench my hand harder and my eyes rest on the direction hers were in. It was Kamoshida. "What's going on here?" This guy's eyes gaze over the three of us, having a longer time on the only girl. Her body shifts to behind me and his expression turned to pissed. His focus turned to Mishima, "Mishima, isn't it time for practice?" the tone of his was so vexing that Akano tensed up. "I-I'm not feeling well today..."

Akano's POV

"I-I'm not feeling well today..." Hah! This guy can't make him go to practice, c'mon Mishima~Kun, stand up for yourself! "What? Maybe you're better off quitting then. You're never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice. Also, you know if you DO quit, something will happen..." Dog Shit's eye's land on me that placed terror on Mishima's face. "Didn't you hear? He ain't feelin' well!" Ryuji stepped away from his spot to got in between the other two boys, staring daggers at the teacher. "Well, Mishima? Are you coming to practice or not?"My god, I REALLY hate this guy, how did he become a teacher of all things!? Mishima~Kun looks at me and grits his teeth, "... I'll go." Mishima~Kun... "As for you, any trouble and you'll be gone from this school for sure. You won't be able to get in my way with her..." This piece of shit just got closer to Ryuji. I grasp onto my blonde haired friend's arm and pull him back while hearing him curse under his breath. "Kurusu~San, stay away from this delinquent, he might hurt you and I don't know what I might do if you were to get hurt." Kamoshida walks up to me and hold my hands, staring deep into my eyes.

This guy is the worst. "Personal space, dude. I don't like being this close to people, especially if they're older than me." I took a step back as he chuckles it off, "Sorry 'bout that! Say, was I cool during the game or what...?" Okay, now this is getting weird. "Huh? Oh, that. I didn't see much of it, sorry Mr. Kamoshida!" Hope my acting was good enough. "Too bad, maybe you could observe the volleyball team? I would love for you to see them vs me so you could see what I'm like properly..." Okay, he bought it. Time to continue the act, "I've got to get home. After what happened on the first day, my parole officer said I have to get home as soon as school finishes for a bit. Maybe later?" Now that was horrible. With a nod, he leaves yelling, "Get with the program!". "That pervy asshole... he's gonna pay for this...!" my blonde friend's blood boiled over with anger. Can't blame him. "... there's no point." The other boy in this small group piped up as the two of us look perplexed. "Proving that he's physically abusing us... is meaningless. Everybody knows... the principal, our parents... they'll all know, and they all keep quiet about it." "You've gotta be fucking with me, Mishima~Kun! I can kinda see the principal because he's a capital A Asshole, but the parents know!?" My face was in disbelief. I can't believe it...

"Aka~Tan's right, this has gotta be a joke..." the bruised boy's expression changed once the words came from Ryuji's lips. "... don't be a pain. You don't understand what I'm going through. Shouldn't you of all people know that nothing's going to help...!?" Ryuji and I look dejected. He's right. No matter how you look at it, nothing's going to help. If the parent's don't give a fuck now, when will they. We know the pain all too well, me with this record, and Ryuji with his leg. "Mishima~Kun... I'll do whatever it takes. I DON'T care if I can't do anything, I won't give up. I gave up on me... I won't give up on other people." I look at him straight in the eyes as he sighs and goes to the gym. "Ryuji... what are we going to do now...?" my arms fall to my sides. The confidence I've felt before just upped and left. "... I'll try one more time to persuade the other guys. That's... all I can do." Tears began to fall from my eyes. They're just like us, I kinda wished we were the only ones because this pain is unbearable. "I'll help you ou-" I try to step closer to him but I stop in my tracks. "Aka~Tan?" he gave a concerned look. "... bag... lollies..." I mutter as he looked into my bag and pulled out the lollies. I snatch it and began to eat.

Energy restores in my body as I move my arms. "What was that?" he gripped my hand to see I was responsive other things. "Long story short, hypoglycemia. Look it up. Ugh, I hate this. Hey, if it isn't much of a problem, can you just help me get to Yongen safely? There wasn't much in that bag so I don't know what will happen..." I look down and Ryuji nods as the two of us walk toward the station. He paid for both his and my tickets while fighting me off since I wanted to pay for it and we waited for the next train. I was right to ask him to help me out, I'm about to pass out already and I left the bag Sojiro gave me at home. I'm an idiot. The train eventually came and we got some seats. Tiredness crept up on me but I kept trying to keep them open. "Just have a nap, it'll be a while." Ryuji instructed me and I immediately do so. My head was on his lap as it felt like a pillow. It didn't take long for me to get either. Now I know, Ryuji Sakamoto isn't the delinquent people see him out to be. Ryuji Sakamoto is a giant softy who cares for others, even if he seems vulgar with his appearance and speech.

Ryuji's POV

She just passed out right there. Ugh, she may be a pain in the ass sometimes but she's actually really kind. I wonder if she was always like this of if she was an entirely different person. As if I will figure that out. Aside from that, she is stunning. I can tell that her red hair is dyed because her roots are still black, didn't do a bad job patching it up but It' could be better. Hmm, I wonder what she would look like with black hair? Meh, she suits red hear better. Huh? She's still holding onto my hand? How have I not realized it until now? Pink crept up on my face as it turned to red. It was like that for the entire train ride. Yongen was the last stop, it's going to take a while. "No..." Huh? "I-I want to stay...!" Akano? "Nicole... needs me!" Nicole? What's that? "I-I-I want to stay... with auntie and... uncle...!" Is she sleeping? "Stop...!" Nightmare? I can't let this continue anymore. I take her by her shoulders and brought her closer to me. "Calm down, Aka~Tan. I'm here." The moment I finished, a smile formed on her face. I kept this up for the rest of the trip.

"Aka~Tan, wake up. We're here." Her eyes flutter open. She's still exhausted, guess I really do have to look up hypoglycemia. Okay, she won't be able to walk. Against her wishes, I put her on my back. She wasn't heavy so that's a plus. "Where do you live?" I ask as I leave the station. "Cafe Leblanc." At least she was still responsive. I asked around and eventually found the cafe. "Welcome... huh?" the old man behind the corner looks at me and Akano on my back. "You a friend of hers?" the coldness of his voice could freeze water. I nod while he sighs, "She collapsed or was about to?" Again, I nod. "Just place her on the table. There's no customers here so it's fine. I'll go get some of those lollies, must be upstairs." I do as I was told as he went upstairs. The man came back downstairs and began feeding her gummy bears. Slowly, the color returned to her as her eyes lit up. "Sojiro? How did I get here? Ryuji, you're here too?" Akano's voice was shaky and weak. With a sigh, the old man ordered her to go upstairs for bed and to remember to pack more lollies. She groans and does what he said. "Thank you for bringing her here. You have my respect." A small smile came on his face and I returned it. "Go back home, it's getting late." And with that, I left.

**Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter! I put some more RyujixAkano scenes because at the point where the story is, it's good. One thing, if you're wondering why Ryuji's reaction to hearing Nicole is due to the fact that Nicole isn't a Japanese name. I don't know if Ryuji would be like this if he heard a name that wasn't Japanese in origin but I went with it. Anyway, I want to ramble on about Persona 5 The Royal. Takuto Maruki is definitely a bad guy, no doubt about it. He's to suspicious. I also get that Kasumi has something to do with it but It's just too obvious for her to be the only one. And Pancakes is back! And if you're wondering, yes, there will be AkechixAkano in this fanfic so don't worry about that. Anyway, I'm done. Seeya!**


	10. Chapter 9 - Tell Me, What Should I Do?

**Hey guys, this chapter really got me in the feels and if you can guess by the name, you know what it's about. Anyway, I'll talk about it after this chapter. If you're wondering, yes, there will be a warning when the scene comes in but not now. So let's just get this chapter started!**

Akano's POV

I walk up the stairs slowly as my gaze returns to normal. I glad that I asked Ryuji to bring me here. If I didn't I would've passed out on my way here and Sojiro would've been more angry with me than ever. I do hope that this wasn't a bother to him though. On the table in the rustic attic, was my probation journal wide open. Guess that Kenny did read it today. I look at it and saw that there was a comment in kanji written with red ink. _'What the fuck Akano? Your first day and you pull this shit? And update this daily'_ It translates. Fuck you, Kenny. I don't need your advise. I guess I need to be a good girl for a bit. On a new page, I explain what happened yesterday and today without mentioning the castle.

_'Yesterday, I got closer to Ryuji. We're pretty similar, he's easy to talk to. We heard of a rumor with a teacher of ours and investigated it today. I can't believe the rumors were true. Of course I'm not saying it in here because you've pissed me off, Kenny. Give me advise again, I dare you. Anyway, I had an episode on both days but I'm fine now.'_

I just hope he doesn't get pissy on me. I don't want to deal with him. He had it coming though... I change out of my gym wear and begin to put on my nightie. I pull the ribbon out of my hair and place it on the table where the journal is.

_**PI! PI! PI!**_

Ryuji? What does he need? Actually, he might want to talk about what we learned. He might not want Sojiro to know.

R~ Hey, this don't make any damn sense. The principal and even the parents know about the  
abuse. Why ain't anyone speaking up!?

A~ Even I'm trying to figure it out. Maybe it's Dog Shit? They might be afraid of that pussy...

R~ That can't be the only thing keeping both of the principal and the parents quiet though...

A~ What about volleyball? Isn't it a big thing at the school ? I think it was in the news once right?

R~ Yeah, they won nationals and got an immense following all over the country. But that doesn't  
explain the parents...

A~ Because even if the parents stand up, the school can just deny it all together. If Egghead has  
Dog Shit's back, the two can just cover for each other. The only way the law can shadow  
doubt on the school is if everything gets revealed. The reason why you attacked Dog Shit and  
probably even the fact I go to the school. If the parents were to speak up now, they will just  
get shot down, no matter if it's a majority that does so. And they know it.

R~ Holy shit... you're right. I still don't get it though. He doesn't have the right to beat up kids.

A~ No one has that right. I feel bad for Mishima~Kun, Suzui~Chan and the others, all they can do  
is endure...

R~ And that follower of his gives zero shits about it.

A~ Follower? You mean the foreigner with pigtails?

R~ You don't know her name? She's in your class, dude.

A~ I haven't talked to her before yesterday. All I know she's the first blond haired girl with blue  
eyes I've seen ever since I moved to Japan almost five years ago.

R~ What? Ugh, now's not the the time to ask about your past. This whole thing is a bunch of bull!  
I can't let it end like this.

A~ Neither can I!

R~ I'm gonna try and find someone who knows about what's going on with Kamoshida during  
break tomorrow.

A~ I'll help!

R~ No, I'll be fine. I don't want you to overwork much especially if what just happened today  
might happen tomorrow. You need to save your energy for something more important than  
just asking around.

A~ I'm not a baby, Ryuji...

R~ I know you're not. That doesn't stop me from worrying about you. Just you watch, I won't  
give up!

Pink flared on my cheeks when he said he worries about me. He doesn't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself. But I could use tomorrow to rest my mind.

_**PI! PI! PI!**_

Huh? Akiro's calling me after a few months? What does he want? "Akiro? What's up?" I answered, "Long time no talk, Kano. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit, you okay for it?" Was his response and a smile grew on my face. "It's okay, what do you want to talk about?" And with that,he updated on what's going on back home. Akari got an award in school, he became vice president of the student council, mom and dad are planning on sending me apology money, all good things. To be honest, I wish I was there to see these things myself. Makes me feel like an outsider panning in on their lives. None the less, I'm happy for them.

Meanwhile...

Ryuji's POV

What am I going to do...? Akano almost was in a coma, finding out that no one at school cares about the volleyball team, hell, they probably don't care about any students. Sigh, I guess I shouldn't say anything like that. They probably do but they're just weird about it. Hmm, will Akano be pissed if I call her after texting her? Then again, she's probably asleep. Hope I don't wake her up. 'The number you are calling is currently on another line. Please wait for further actions'. She's on the line with someone? With who? Gah! It's not my business on who she talks to and when she talks to them.

_**PI! PI! PI!**_

Huh? She messaged me.

A~ Hey, sorry I missed your call. I was on the line with an old friend of mine. Nothing special, he  
just wanted to update me on what's going on back home. Good news is that I'll be rich.

R~ What?

A~ My parents are sending me apology money. TL;DR, they accused me of being a criminal and  
now they feel bad for doubting me, hoping that the money will be okay.

R~ You gonna forgive them?

A~ TBH, I didn't care if they would send me cash. I just want their approval of me going back to  
Europe since that's my home.

R~ Okay, we'll talk about this after we deal with Kamoshida, okay?

A~ Yeah, Dog Shit's gonna get what's comin' to him!

That savage side of hers and that kind, cutesy side of hers... I wonder which one I like more...

Akano's POV

I woke up to my alarm blaring in my ear. I do my normal routine and leave for the train station. Class was as boring as ever, nothing really to note down. But, Ryuji did text me in the middle of class. Man, we text too much. Okay, this may not be much but, I haven't texted someone this much.

R~ So about witnesses... I was wondering if we could get something outta your classmate, Ann  
Takamaki.

A~ Is it because of her and Dog Shit being a couple?

R~ No, that ain't why. Just hear me out. You know how we didn't get a thing outta the volleyball  
team? I figured it be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them. Takamaki's BFFs with a  
starter, Suzui, the girl you said you saw in the locker room with bruises on her back. I tried  
talking with her during break, but I got nothing. That's why we should ask Takamaki talk to  
her.

A~ Easier said than done. I don't think she wants to get on Dog Shit's bad side, that's the reason  
she warned us yesterday. I'll try talking to Suzui though, she might be a little shy when it  
comes to others and I don't look much like a threat. Then again, if the school knows about my  
record, she must know and be afraid of me like Mishima~Kun.

R~ Yeah... sorry. I'll try to think of something else.

The bell rang and I walk out of class and towards the courtyard. On my way there, I bump into that girl from before, Suzui, checking her phone. "Huh? Oh... I'm in the way, aren't I? I'm sorry... hey... um, you're that girl from yesterday, right?" I nod at her question. Something's wrong, she's got another bruise. "You're Suzui~San, right? I asked Ryuji who you were yesterday and he told me your name. Sorry if it sounds weird..." I look down, hoping she doesn't find me creepy. "It's fine. I know who you are and it saves me time introducing myself, Kurusu~San." of course she knows who I am, "Um, just by looking at you, I don't think the rumors are true so don't listen to them, okay? My best friend gets judged a lot because of her looks and her self-esteem went down. It was only when we became friends her self-esteem raised." That was the kindest thing I've ever heard from someone in this school asides from Ryuji. "Thank you. Say, this may not be my business but, are you okay? That bruise on your eye... you didn't have that yesterday, right? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, though." She begins to push a strand of hair behind ear, responding with her shaking her head no. I respect it and allowed her to leave. I hope she's okay, not just physically but mentally and emotionally too.

I made it to the courtyard and see Ryuji stomping around obviously angry. "Dammit. What the hell..." I went up to him, "Let me guess, nothing?" My hand landed on his shoulder as he grimaced. "Right on the money. Grah!" Him slamming his fist onto the vending machine gave me a fright, making my grip on his shoulder harder. "All of 'em kept saying the same shit Mishima was talkin' about...! Kamoshida had to have told 'em something! At this rate... it looks like we'll have to go to him directly..." I just looked down, dizzy. Sitting on the table, I took out my lollies and began eating them. "Is there seriously no other way...?" My brain began thinking, all outside noises, I wasn't able to hear them. Until my brain stopped on an image of someone we've both seen before. "Let's punish the 'King'." was what came out of my mouth. "The 'King'...? You mean that other world's Kamoshida? I didn't think of that, but... is there any meaning to-" Out of nowhere, a familiar voice joins into the conversation.

"I finally found you."

"... you say something" Just then, a black cat with blue eyes, a yellow collar and white paws jump on the table. "Don't thing think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you, Ryuji." Morgana? "That voice... is that you Morgana!?" Ryuji's face was the same as mine, disbelief. "How dare you up and leave me the other day! On top of that, you just drag Lady Akano away with out her consent. Have you no shame?" Must be Morgana. Ryuji is still tripping out about the cat talking which is weird. We've seen a castle, monsters in that castle, students being tortured in said castle, and on top of that the 'King' is the school's gym teacher, wearing a cape, crown, and a thong, and you think this is abnormal? This is the most normal thing I've seen to date. "- this is just what I look like when I enter this world. It was a lot of trouble finding the two of you in this city." No shit, Morgana. It's the city!? What did you expect it to be like? "Wait... you came to our world!? *Gasp* Does that mean you've got a phone!?" I... I can't even Ryuji. It took him a while but he finally found out it was Morgana. I mean, it's obvious. It's a talking cat with Morgana's voice and looks like a more cat-like version of him in the MetaVerse.

"Gah! That's not the point! How can you talk!? You're a cat!?" Ryuji, just accept it. "How should I know!?" Morgana looks as pissed as me. "You hearin' this too...?" Okay, you know what? I'm gonna do something to piss you off more. Putting my fists under my chin, I look at Ryuji, "Meow?" while tilting my head. "Th-Th-This is not time to be jokin' around!" I made him flustered AND pissed. Two for the price of one. "You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses. I can help you guys, and it has to do with what Lady Akano here was pretty close, too." Cocking my head to the side, I pick up Morgana and hold him. I cannot, okay? I'm a cat person. "Gah! Let me go!" He tried struggle, not taking out his claws on purpose. "You're gonna get used to this, Morgana. Sucks to be you but I'm a cat person." He groaned and I held him even tighter. "We really got to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this...?" That was a teacher's voice, are they looking for Morgana...? "I just heard a meow somewhere around here. Didn't you hear it?"

Oh okay, I think I get it. Unlike Luna and Artemis from Sailor Moon, **(love that anime) **to us we can hear perfect English, to others people, we hear, 'meow, meow, meow, meow, meow (**Kubz Scouts reference!)** I begin to zone out to think of every possibility this 'Magical Destiny' will take me while Morgana jumps from clutches. I mean, we got a mascot, I'm basically a magical girl, Ryuji's a magical boy, don't we need a bigger team than three people? I came back to reality when Ryuji just grabs Morgana by the collar and tells me to stick him in my bag. "Ryuji! Be gentle!" I snatch Morgana and carefully place him in my bag. "I need you to keep quiet until I let you out, okay Morgana?" I zip up the bag and the two of make our way to the rooftop.

A Few Moments Later...

Morgana said his plan. I was all for it until he mentioned there's a risk where Dog Shit would die... "What do you think, Aka~Tan?" "If I'm being honest, Dog Shit deserves it. But, I don't think that we should be doing it. That's just what I think..." my attention draws towards Morgana, "I'm so sorry, Morgana. I want to help you but, I don't think it's right if we do this. We won't get caught, yes, but I don't think Ryuji's or even my conscious will allow us to do so. Am I right, Ryuji?" he nods his head. Morgana sighs and walks to me, "I'll give you guys some time to think about this. I get where you're both coming from so it's all I can do. Bye." he purrs against my legs and wonders off. "I need to go home, Ryuji. I need to think this thoroughly, you do do too." I grab my bag and walk away. Why is the only way to kill the guy? That thought lingered with me all the way to Shibuya, as it was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Will you please give it a rest!? I told you, I'm not feeling up to it..."

Oh, it's Ann Takamaki. Who's she talking too? Well, it isn't any of my business.

"Wait, what...!? That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!?"

Is she talking to Kamoshida?

"This has nothing to do with Shiho! Huh? The bastard really just hung up on me..."

She curled up in a ball, muttering, "Shiho's starting position...". Okay, I have to get involved.

"Takamaki? Are you okay?" My words gave her a fright, "Oh, it's just you, Kurusu. I take it you heard everything?" I nod at her question as I get to her level. "You want to talk about it? It sounds like you want to get this off your chest. I'll be a good brick wall!" I flashed a smile at her and she looks down. After a few seconds, she nods and I take her to a place called, Big Bang Burger. Do they not have McDonalds here or something? "You want anything?" I ask her as I sat her down. "Caramel milkshake please..." With a nod, I go up to order it along with a mocha frappe for me. I got them and sat with Takamaki. This will be good information to use against Dog Shit. But, she's not saying anything. She needs to let this out. Not just for information, but for her. Having something like this on your back is bad for your mental health. "... Ann..." her first name being said by me made her jump a bit. "Ann, you really need to let it all out. If not, you will be stressed and... might take it out on someone innocent. I know I may be a stranger to you but, I'm asking this as a concerned classmate. If you need a person to vent to, I don't mind being that person. I also vow to keep things between the two of us unless the situation changes. You know what I mean." And with that she looks up at me.

**WARNING! PEDOPHILIA & TRAUMA**

"... you've heard the rumors... haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida... everyone says we're getting it on. But... that's so not true...! That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number... for the longest time..." her voice was weak but I don't blame her. Having all these rumors come about you and a teacher, who wouldn't be like this. She begins to toy with a napkin, "He told me to go to his place after this... grr... you know what it means." Ann grips the napkin as hard as she could while I tensed up. If it wasn't for the fact that he was abusing the volleyball team, the castle, and that Ann doll he had in the castle, I might've thought differently. That asshole, she's only 16, how scummy can you get?! "If I turned him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team... she worked so hard for that spot... I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho' sake... I can't take it anymore..." she leaned back in a huff. I can kinda get where she's coming from but, you can't sacrifice that much. "I've had enough of this... I hate him!" Tears begin to fall from her eyes, "But still... Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me, what should I do!?" I wish I knew the answer Ann, I really do. "Sorry... I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem." Ann, I'm so sorry you went through all this pain...

**WARNING OVER! SCENE SUMMARY: KAMOSHIDA TOLD ANN TO GO TO HIS PLACE FOR SEX. IF SHE REFUSED, HE WOULD CUT HER FRIEND, SHIHO SUZUI FROM THE TEAM. ANN DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.**

"Ann, I wish I knew you when this bullshit started. I would've been there to protect you from this. Probably even Suzui." I got up from my chair and sat next to her. She turned to me and I gave her a hug. She was caught by surprise for a bit but she started crying into my turtleneck. "Let it out Ann. Let it all out. I'm here for you..." She kept crying for a few minutes and moved back to her original place. "Thank you, Kurusu. You're right, I needed to get that out." Even with her red, puffy eyes and wet cheeks, she gave me a sad smile. "You're welcome. And it's Akano." I returned the smile as she looked at her milkshake. "... you're so weird. Usually people just ignore me. I know this is a dumb question, but I want to know. Are those rumors about you true?" Actually, this is a good chance for me to know those rumors. All I know is that people are scared of me, I need to know if it's exaggerated or not. I ask her and the answer was shocking. "That you assaulted someone. That you almost killed them. Judging by your face, they're exaggerations. Had a feeling they were because you seem so kind the times I've talk to you. You seemed lonely - almost like you didn't belong... we're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy fro me to talk to you." I do sense we have something in common, like Ryuji and I.

"Is there really no way for me to help Shiho...? I wish he'd just changed his mind... like, forget about me, and everything... hah, as if something like that would ever happen..." That look... she may not be saying it but, her eyes show faint glimmers of hope. "It could happen. The future is undecided." I tried sounding optimistic but she saw right through me. "...ahaha... I wasn't asking for a serious response. But, that does make me feel better. Thank you, Akano." Her smile this time was a little forced but it was better than before this whole chat. "I want to also mention this too, Ann. It's about Suzui... at the volleyball rally, I saw she had bruises on her back. I need you to keep a closer eye on her, please." Her eyes went wide for a second but changed with a nod. "It's getting late, I'm gonna go home. Thanks for the milkshake, I'll be sure to finish it. Also, don't tell anyone I told you, okay? I'll try and figure out a way to persuade Kamoshida. And, I know I keep thanking you but you don't know how thankful I am. Thank you... for everything, there, I think I'm done. Heh, see you at school. Bye." And with that, the foreigner leaves with her caramel milkshake. What should I do? Do I want to kill him? Or do I want the volleyball team and Ann to continue their suffering? I still don't know... what I do know is that, I think that at the very least, Ryuji should know about this.

A~ Hey, I want to tell you something. Keep it a secret from everyone, okay?

R~ Okay...? What's this about?

A~ I got something from Ann

R~ Whoa, when did you start calling her 'Ann'?

A~ Is that important?

R~ No, not really. Anyway, what did you get?

A~ Dog Shit's forcing her to be in a relationship with him so that Suzui can be a regular. Not just  
that but he told her to go to his place.

R~ What the fuck, man...

A~ I know. Don't tell Ann I told you, okay? I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone unless the  
situation changes.

R~ Got it. Anyway, you holding up okay?

A~ Yeah... just got through a whole boat of feels from Ann's story

R~ Good. I'm got to go, my mom's calling me. TTYL?

A~ TTYL.

_"Tell me, what should I do!?" _

I really wish I knew the answer...

**Hey guys! So, this chapter was hard to make due to the fact that Ann's scene here made me cry so much. I really pissed me off that in the game, there was no choice to give Ann a hug so made it in here. Ann is one of my favorite characters from Persona 5, having Futaba at the top, and I love her to pieces. This is why that in this story, she will be what Yukari was to FeMC in Persona 3 Portable. The best girl friend. (note the space in between girl and friend.) Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! Bye!**


	11. Chapter 10 - Please

Akano's POV

With a heavy heart, I made it to Leblanc. Sojiro was there as usual, asking me why I'm late. I didn't even know it was this late. "I was protecting someone who a thug was bothering." That lie was the best I could do. He sighs, telling me not to go crying to him if I get arrested. "By the way, you haven't been hanging around any bad influences lately? I'm not asking about that boy from yesterday but, his appearance..." I don't blame you, I normally wouldn't hang around people like Ryuji. But if it wasn't for what happened at the castle, I wouldn't have friends here. "I actually made another one." Ann's sad smile flashed in my head, forcing a small smile out of me. "I'm surprised people would want to hang out with you. How well do you know that boy?" He closes his newspaper. "Ever since the first day. Aside from his delinquent-like appearance, he's a good guy..." he protected me and even worries about me. I never thought I would meet someone like that after Akiro, "Anyway, I'm going to bed. Night." I wave and walked up the stairs.

Ugh, guess I have to write in this again, right?

_I made a new friend! Her name is Ann Takamaki and she is super nice. She has some baggage but I want to help her let go of that stress. I'm also... no, it's not that important to be in here._

Morgana's deal ring in my ears. After hearing Ann's troubles, I'm still at a crossroads. He's hurt so many. Ryuji, Mishima~Kun, Ann, Suzui, the entire volleyball and ex track teams. My thoughts drift me off to another world, I didn't know what I was doing in real life. "Aka~Tan?" I was brought back to me holding my phone to my ear. I look at it and I was calling Ryuji. Putting it on speaker, I speak. "S-Sorry Ryuji... this whole thing has got me a little shaken up. Especially after hearing Ann pour her heart out. I don't know what to do and it's pissing me off!" "Same here. Don't worry, we'll think of something. Don't worry, we won't kill him but make him confess." Ryuji's words gave me comfort. "Thanks. I guess I needed to hear that. I gotta get to bed, night." I hung up and did my night routine. I couldn't sleep. Knowing that this asshole has done this much and isn't repenting makes me... I don't even know now...

4/15/20XX

Another day at school. Mr. Ushimaru still happens to piss me off by his voice, Ann is staring out the window, I'm doodling in my book, and Morgana is in my desk. Wait, Morgana in my desk? "Have you made up your mind? No matter how much thinking you do, there's only one option. You'd be better off listening to me." This cat... no matter how pissed off I am that he scared me and this teacher's voice... it's too cute. "How the fuck did you get in there?" I whispered to him but Mr. Ushimaru heard him. We freaked out until he stopped, telling the class to shut up. Okay, I need to talk to this cat in private. "Um, Mr. Ushimaru? Can I go to the bathroom?" My arm raised up and awaited his approval. He did as Morgana jumped into my bag and I took it with me. I close the door and looked straight forward. A scene I will never want to play on the roof. "Morgana, find Ryuji. I'll be on the roof." I guess he understood because he left. And with that I ran to the roof.

**WARNING: SUICIDE ATTEMPT**

Ann's POV

"Hey... what's that...!?"

Of course Mr. Ushimaru got offended, telling him to sit down.

"Wait... she's going to jump...!"

The class got in an uproar. Who is it?

"Suzui...?"

No... "Shiho...?" I can't just sit back, get the fuck out of my way! I make it to the window and I saw her standing on the edge. Wait, someone's there...!

Akano's POV

"Shiho Suzui, STOP!" I barged the door open as I saw her turn around and face me. "Huh...? Kurusu...? Why are you here?" Tears fell off her face. No... I won't let this happen...! "I'm here to stop you! You can't do this!" I walk up to her, "I know what you're going through, Suzui. Wait, no. Shiho. You may see me as a stranger, but I won't let anyone go like this. Never...! Please... tell me and I'll help you unconditionally!" her gasp was high pitched but I didn't care. "He... he took everything away from me...! Volleyball... my body... my parents concern... everything!" Is she talking about Dog Shit...? Dog Shit did this...? That... "NO ONE CARES FOR ME NOR WILL CARE IF I JUST DIE NOW!" She turned around, about to jump, but I grab her arms. "You're wrong! Shiho, I care about you! We may not know each other properly, but I want to! Other than Ryuji, you were the only one was still kind to me no matter what the rumors said! You were also not afraid of me! It's not just me, Ann too! She... she's dating Mr. Kamoshida so that you can have a spot on the team!" I can't let her die like this. "Wh-what...?" "I'll be with you! I'll protect you! You won't go through this alone, Shiho! I won't let you die... never!" I pull her up while also seeing that all the students are out of their classes, observing us.

She was safely on the roof, hyperventilating. At least it's a better sight than before. "C'mon, let's go Shiho. Anywhere is better than here, anyway." I tried to give her happiness by smiling but it didn't work. I help her walk to the door slowly. "I'm sorry... Akano..." was all I heard in my ear as a strong force pushes me down. Once I hit the ground, I look up and see Shiho with a face full of despair. "I'm so sorry Akano... but I can't go on...!" She closes the door and I rush up. Dammit! She locked it. "Shiho! Please... please don't do it! Life is fulled of wonders, you need to see it all! Shiho!" but no matter how much I called for her, she never opened the door. Unconsciously, I go to the closest window The scene unfolded before my eyes. Shiho... why...? I backed up with wide eyes until my back hit the wall. First years ignored me and ran to the courtyard. The scene played in my mind again, and again, and again, and again. "SHIHO!?" I cried out as I slid down the wall into a ball on the ground. I lost track of time

**WARNING OVER. SUMMARY: SHIHO SUZUI TRIED TO JUMP OFF THE ROOF BUT WAS STOPPED BY AKANO. SHE GAVE HER REASON ON WHY AND IT WAS THAT KAMOSHIDA TOOK EVERYTHING FROM HER. AKANO SAVES HER BUT WAS PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS BY SHIHO. SHIHO GOES ONTO HER SUICIDE ATTEMPT AS AKANO WATCHED. SHE CURLED UP IN A BALL, CRYING.**

Sprint sounds from far away fill the empty hall and I look in that direction. It was Mishima~Kun. "Mishima~Kun... why did this happen!? You must know!" I got up quick and began shaking him. Tears continued to fall heavy. "I-I-I don't know!" "Aka~Tan, don't let him go!" I know that voice anywhere. Ryuji. That's all I need. I shoved Mishima~Kun to the wall and pinned him by kicking the wall. "I finally caught up to this guy. Aka~Tan, he knows! Why'd you run like that? Huh!?" We need answers and he's the only way. "I didn't run..." now that pissed me off. I move my foot to his stomach, putting pressure on it. "She jumped and tried to kill herself!" Ryuji was just as fuming as me. "... l-leave me alone..." Realization hit me. He's been through enough, he doesn't need this. I put my foot down on the ground as he looks at me with relief on his face. "I'm sorry Mishima~Kun. This is just... getting to me deep down. Can you please tell us? We won't say you peeped." "She's right." I take hold of Ryuji's hand, in case the information is worse than what we expected. "Suzui... she was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!" Kinda guessed it by how she spoke but of course Ryuji got caught off guard.

"I was called by him a number of times too... to the teachers room. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood... and hit them." Confession right there. "So the physical punishment thing was for real." Even I can't believe it, even though I doubted them when they told me it was nothing. "But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything... he seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been... worse than usual..." He... he couldn't... he wouldn't... after Ann told him no... "He didn't... THAT SON OF A BITCH!" Ryuji ran off. "RYUJI!" I called out for him as I chased after him. Mishima~Kun did the same. "Where is he going?" I asked behind me, "The PE faculty office, that's where Kamoshida is." Oh shit, Ryuji's gonna do something.

_PE FACULTY OFFICE_

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl!?" I don't blame Ryuji. If I were to open my mouth, I would say foul things too. Probably fouler. "What are you talking about?" You've got to be fucking kidding me. You make a girl jump, and you can go on without a care in the world!? What kind of monster are you!? "Don't. Play dumb with me." the blond student kicked a nearby fold-able chair which made the older person snap. "What you did... wasn't coaching...! You... you ordered me to call Suzui here... I can only imagine what you did to her...!" Mishima~Kun, yes! Stand up for yourself! "You're going on and on about things you have no proof of... basically, you're making these claims because you can't be a regular on the team, right?" He stood up and crossed his arms. "Who the fuck cares about volleyball!? This is more important than some sport team drama!" I got into a protective stance in front of Mishima~Kun and all he did was chuckle. "Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking... what can you do? We just received a call from the hospital." Oh god, what? Wait, he just admitted it, right? "Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recover are slim... how would someone like that make a statement? There's no chance of her getting better, I hear... the poor girl." You've... you've got to be fucking me sideways... right? RIGHT? Shiho... no...! "You goddamn...!" Ryuji's about to snap. "This, again...? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of, 'self-defense'?" No, if this keeps up... "You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!" he goes to swing.

I want this man to get hit.

I want him to call out for help like a pussy.

I want him to suffer.

I want him to see the same view as Shiho.

... but not like this...

Before he could hit him, I grasp hard on his upper arm. "Why're you stoppin' me...?!" We look into each other's eyes. His was full of rage while mine was stained with red from crying with concern in them. "... if you hurt him now... the same thing that he did to you would repeat... if you hurt him now... who will avenge Shiho!?" Tears begin to fall as his gaze softened. "Kurusu~San? You're protecting me?" I ignored that comment as he went back to his chair. "Everyone present right now... will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting." His words sent me and the other boys in the room shock and bewilderment. "You can't make a decision like that...!" Mishima~Kun stood up for all of us, but was quickly shot down by Kamoshida's words. "I kept you on the team due to the fact you can post stuff online and get tons of views on it. And not only that, but you act like a victim. But you're the one who leaked Akano Kurusu's criminal records, right? It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible..." what did he say? "Mishima...?" "Y-You're the reason why... people are doing this...?" I can't believe this. "He told me to do it... I had no choice..." Mishima~Kun... "You're done for. Especially you, Kurusu. Juvie will be your next home." I... I can't take it... I left.

Ryuji's POV

"Akano!" It's been a while since I called her that. "Ryuji..." She drops to her knees and began sobbing loudly. All I could do was hold her close. "... I had her... I had her yet... I let go... Ryuji, listen to me, I wanted to save Shiho!" Her voice was muffled by her face being dug into my chest. After a minute or two, she got her head up and looked at me. "Shiho and I are similar. I was in that dark, dark place before. Even though our path to get there is different, I just can't help it. I want her to be smiling other than that fearful expression she had when she locked the door. But, I wasn't able to save her! Now I'm gonna go to juvie, I can't do this!?... Ryuji... help me." I was surprised by her request. "Help me... steal Kamoshida's desires... steal Kamoshida's treasure...!" but she knows that... he might die... is she willing to take that risk? "Someone's life was almost taken today by him. I will do whatever it takes if it means no more suicide attempts. Suicide is nothing to be taken lightly. So will you help me?" Her resolve is strong. Looks like crying is therapeutic. But... like always, she's right.

"So have you two made your decisions?"

It was Morgana. Akano pulled away and firmly nodded her head. I took a while just to think about everything.

He broke my leg...

Made mom feel like she disappointed me...

Broke off the track team...

Physically abuse the volleyball team...

Forces Takamaki into a relationship...

Pushing Suzui to suicide...

Making Akano relive those dark moments in her past...

"I'll help..."

**Hey guys! So, I changed this chapter a bit, due to the fact it will make an impact later down the line. But, the Shiho scene is a scene that I can't watch without reliving some bad times. There's no need to worry about my past though because I'm doing fine, mentally, now. I wanted Akano to have more of a deeper connection to Shiho than Akira/Ren ever had. Sorry if it felt rushed, I will rewrite that scene if you guys don't like it. Anyway, that's all I've got for you guys. See you!**


	12. Chapter 11 - Please (Volume 2)

**Hey guys! I know, these last two chapters came out fast. It's because I got the chance to stay home and work on both of these chapters. Anyway, I just knew I had to make this one, especially because of this scene. Anyway, this chapter is optional but I recommend you do read this one. This will also have a warning in the beginning like the Kamoshida chapter because of a few obvious things.**

Ann's POV

She... she stopped her... Akano stopped Shiho... thank you! "Wait, she's going back!?" What...? I look back and see that Shiho is back in the place where she was before. And in no time whatsoever, her entire body fell forwards. "No.. why...? Shiho...!" With tears rolling down my face, I made it to the courtyard. Students got in my way but I shoved them away. Paramedics shortly came and all I could do was watch them strap Shiho into a hospital bed. "Ann..." she called out to me and I ran up to her. "Shiho! Shiho I'm right here!" I clasp her hand tightly. "T-Tell Akano... I'm sorry... she tried... to help me... I shoved her... down the stairs.. please... please, Ann...!" I was right, Akano tried to save her. "Shiho, who did this to you!? Who made you want to do this...!?" she noticed the tears streaming down my face and tried to wipe them away. It didn't help. She whispered her answer to my question in my ear. The answer made me go wide-eyed. "Kamoshida...!?" "I'm sorry Ann. I... I can't take this... anymore... it hurts..." and with that, her eyes closed. "Shiho!"

"We need someone to go with her... are there any teachers around?" the teachers just don't care. And I don't want them to go with her. "I'll go!" I stood and went into the ambulance. The workers brought Shiho in and all I could do was hold her hand tightly. "Do you know her parents, miss?" I look up to see an adult across from me. "Yeah, I should call her mom..." I dialed up Shiho's mom and told her what just happened. I could hear her crying over the line. "D-Don't worry, Mrs. Suzui! We're on our way to the hospital, I'll meet you there." I hung up, her sobs made me cry. Shiho, please... please get better soon...!

_~Timeskip~_

I'm back at school because I forgot my bag in class. Ms. Kawakami rang me to tell me I left it there. Guess the situation took over my thoughts, huh? Sigh, Shiho's in the intensive care unit. They said she's lucky to have survived the fall because of her being fit, but it was still a close call because of all the bruises on her body. Mainly her back. Akano was right, the bruises on her back were horrible. She sustained a bruised spine, fractured leg, and a crack pelvis. This has led to getting paralysis with in her legs so when she wakes up and is ready, she will need physical therapy if she wants to walk again. Shiho...

_"T-Tell Akano... I'm sorry... she tried... to help me... I shoved her... down the stairs.. please... please, Ann...!"_

What happened up there? Why of all people, was Akano stopping her? It... it should've been me... no. I can't think about the past like this. If I want answers to that, the only person I can get it from is her. If I'm right, she's still here. I look around each floor but no one was in sight. All the teachers were gone too.

_Sobbing_

Huh? Someone's crying? I peer over a corner and see Mishima sitting there. How did I miss him? Whatever. "Mishima? You okay?" I ask as he looks at me. "Takamaki...? Yeah, I'm fine... just, something happened... are you okay? Considering the circumstances..." he knows I was close with Shiho, he knows I'm hurting. I try to hold back the tears, "I'll be okay... for now... have you seen Akano?" he was shocked to hear me say that name. "So, you two are close?" Oh right! This is the first I said her first name in front of him. I nod in affirmation while he sighs. "If you're that close, I want to tell you something. I leaked her criminal record because Mr. Kamoshida made me. I can't look her in the face now, especially since she knows. It's not just that... Sakamoto, Kurusu and I are getting expelled at the next board meeting..." You've got to be kidding me. It's that bastards fault that Shiho jumped. And now he's gonna expel students who are innocent? Akano is a good person and so is Mishima. Sakamoto, I knew him in middle school. All I know is that he hasn't changed a bit. "Where's Akano?" I ask again and he told me and ran off. She was still in the practice building with Sakamoto. I hope I get there in time.

"Let's go! There's no one here so we have this time to go there!" Wait, that was Akano! She was pulling Sakamoto to outside of the school and in an alleyway. What are those two doing? "Ready?" Wait, are they...? No! How can they TODAY of all days!? I know Akano's smart, they must be plotting something.

"Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle... beginning navigation."

What the- The world is warping...

Akano's POV

Back in this hell hole. And I'm in the outfit again. I like it though, it suits me. "Okay, we're in the clear. The security's gone up a bit but it isn't that bad. Anyway, before we head in, we need code names." Morgana just so casually said, leading Ryuji to question it. Now that just ticks me off, how dumb is he? "Oh my god, it's a classic! Why would any thief in particular use their real names! Oh wait, fuck. I forget, you're not from the West. There might be thief anime **(PERSONA 5 Anime**), JRPG's **(PERSONA 5 & ROYAL)** or even other stuff but I've mainly seen it in Western media. Sorry about that." I cross my arms as the other two laugh. "Well, at least you're a step above this monkey, Joker!" Morgana yet again jumps on my head to cheer me up. It works. But wait, he didn't call me 'Lady Akano'. He called me- "Huh? Joker? Why Joker for her?" thanks for finishing my thoughts, Ryuji. "Because she'll be our trump card. I can sense great power from you, Joker. You've just haven't realized it." OKAY DESTINY, I GET IT. MAGICAL DESTINY AND I'M THE PROTAGONIST OF SOME SHOUJO MANGA. **(You're so close Akano. So close.)**

"What will his be?" I began to think of a name for Ryuji. "Thug." Morgana spoke in monotone which made me laugh. "I like it!" "Hell no! There has to be a better name!" Ryuji whined as I sighed. "What do you want it to be?" This will be a more stupid name than, 'Thug', right? "What about I name me after this?" the blond boy grips his mask making both Morgna and I look at him with disappointment. "Okay, you're Skull." The moment I said that, he got all excited. "I don't trust Skull to give me a good code name so, I put my trust in you Joker." Don't worry Morgana, I got you... Well, the fact that he's cat needs to play in on this. Cats... whenever that comes to mind, I always think of the cats on those chat rooms. I think there was a cat one that's name is just Morgana but a few letters are missing. Oh, wait! I've got it! "Mona will be your code name!" Both of those two look at me with like I said something weird but Morgana chuckled. "Okay. From today onward, we are Joker, Skull, and Mona. The Phantom Thieves." Yay! I always wanted to be a Phantom Thief. Of course, Skull doesn't know what they are so Mona and I have to explain it to him.

In the main hall, the 'King' had gathered most of the guards there to discuss about us. He wants our heads. As if we'd give him what he wants. There was a way we have yet to explore so we went there. To Skull's surprise, there was a guard. He saw us and began to chase us around the room. "We need to fight it! We can't keep running like this because of our energy and there may be reinforcements!" Mona was right. I threw my knife at the guard as it dissolves into black goo and revealed a girl in a one piece and knee high boots along with brown hair and wings. "Joker! I've got an idea!" I turn to Mona, who has his slingshot out, "Let me, I've got something to show you!" He proceeds to put the shadow in a 'Hold Up' like how we would use for an 'All Out Attack'. "Okay, so now we've got the enemy in a 'Hold Up'. Instead of initiating an 'All Out Attack' like last time, we can bargain with them. Shadows are beings born from people's hearts, so they can talk too. What we can ask them for are items or money, since they don't want to die. Joker, it's up to you." Thanks, Mona...

_"So you guys are the thieves King Kamoshida was talking about. What are you doing? Cornering a cute girl like me, you need to be insane! It makes it worse that the majority of you are boys... hey girl! Are they putting you up to this?"_

"They aren't putting me up to anything. If anything, I'm their master. Look, I need something from you. Be it money or a useful item, I don't care."

_"Really? You'll let me go if I give you something? Well, let me see... huh? Holy crap, I don't have anything..."_

"Um... Mona? What are we gonna do now?"

"Hmm... I wasn't planning on this happening. Well, time to go to hell!"

_"Please... please don't kill me! You have to believe me, I usually have something on me... let me go!"_

*smirk* "I'll let you go... go to hell!"

_"Wow, that was so lame! But, I say lame stuff like that all the time. We're pretty similar... huh? What is this feeling...?"_

"Mona... what's going on?"

"I wished I knew, Skull..."

_"Now I remember! I am not a slave of Kamoshida. I live in the sea of humanity souls. My true name is... Pixie! I am thou, thou art I. My power now belongs to you."_

"Gah! What the-" Before I could say anything else, Pixie turned into a mask shape and was absorbed into mine.

"Yo, Mona. What happened with Joker's mask? It just absorbed that thing..." My thoughts exactly, Skull... "I don't know! This is new to me! Joker, do you know what you did?" Mona asked and I respond by shaking my head, no. Just then, another shadow comes in the room. It transforms into two of those horses from the other day.

_"Since my power now belongs to you, you may summon me whenever you wish. Now, switch from Jeanne to me."_

Pixie? Is that you? Ugh! I'll figure all of this later. Hold on...

"Persona!" Pixie appeared behind me. I can see her moves. Zio. "Pixie!" I called as a lightning strike hit one of the horses.

"What the hell...? Is that the shadow from earlier? Did you just... take on it's appearance of a shadow and changed it into a persona?" I don't even know, Mona. Is this what Nose was talking to me about? Maybe...

Once again, Pixie gets the job done. "Don't hold back everyone!" The three of us got into our 'All Out Attack' sequence and I ended it with style by pulling down my glove tightly on my hand.

"What was that all about Mona?" Skull, none of us know what it was. "Maybe this is the great power I sensed from you. This is amazing! I haven't known anyone who can wield more than two personas... you might even carry more..." Morgana's eyes were sparkling which made me giggle and put him on my head. I've gotten used to it by now. "This is amazing Aka- I mean Joker! We'll definitely kick that asshole in his dick." Heh, he's still getting used to calling me Joker. And his wordplay has yet to not make me chuckle, ever since he took me to Ore No Beko. Skull... Ryuji Sakamoto... he's different from what my initial thought of him, who would've thought?

_**MEANWHILE...**_

Ann's POV

Where the hell am I? What the fuck happened to the school!? WHAT'S UP WITH THIS CASTLE!?"

_"Princess?"_

Huh?

_"PRINCESS!?"_

Gah! I try to fight back but they all carried me into the castle.

_"What are you doing?"_

I look up and see a familiar face. Pale as ever, eyes dark as night and hair, red as fire. But something was different about her. She was wearing in a Playboy bunny suit with bunny ears and a bunny tail. Her legs were covered in black tights while also wearing 7 inch black heels.

"Akano...?"

**Hey guys! So, for this chapter's ending... yeah I went for a generic idea. But you guys weren't expecting the outfit, right? Yeah, I was contemplating whether or not to put Akano is a swimsuit or something else that's inappropriate. Guess you guys know the answer. While I was contemplating this as well, I was wondering if should do a fanart of this. Then I thought about it more and said no. Sorry, I'm not good at drawing stuff like that, I'm used to drawing outfits that are cute and suit the characters. A Playboy bunny suit does not suit Akano! Anyway, I'm done rambling about something so insignificant. I hope you guys liked this chapter (even though I personally think it sucks. Don't worry I'll rewrite this once it's done.) and I can't wait to write the next one. One of my favorite scenes is next and I'm excited. Bye bye!**


	13. Chapter 12 - Lovers

**Hey guys! This chapter is gonna be a roller coaster of feels, let me tell you, oh my god. The original scene in the game was tear-jerking for me but this is one of the strongest chapters for me to write due to the fact that I can sympathize with the two characters involved. You will know those two when the chapter ends. Oh, I just skipped to the part where they are in the safe room. All you need to know is that Akano has Jack 'O Lantern, Mandrake and Agathion along with Pixie from the last chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Ryuji's POV

We were finally able to reach a safe room. Mona heard some voices from down the hallway and went to go investigate. This left the two of us alone. Akano, I mean Joker, has been fighting with more conviction than before, is it because of what she told me?

_"Shiho and I are similar. I was in that dark, dark place before. Even though our path to get there is different, I just can't help it."_

So Joker was suicidal at a point of her life, what made her feel that way? "Hey, Joker?" I peeped up as she sets her gaze on me. Her posture was different from battles, maybe it's because she can relax here. "You told me that you and Suzui are similar... if you're okay with it, would you explain it? That's if you're okay with it... you don't have to tell me." Sighing, she folds her arms and sits down on a chair. "You know how I've said that when this year is over, I want to go back home? I never meant to where my mother and father are. I mean the place where my aunt and uncle live, London. I lived there for ten years of my life, making tons of friends, stuff kids normally do. But, one of my closest friends past away... I've never felt so lonely in my life. To top it off, I never went to her funeral due to the fact I have to go to Japan. This made me feel down at school. Culture shock kicked in eventually which led other kids to avoid me, bully me, you get the picture. It got to the point where I was suicidal... the first time I tried taking my life, my sister stopped me. But that didn't help. I jumped like Shiho did. As you can see, I survived, thankfully. Once I recovered, I transferred schools as my life turned around. I was genuinely happy and others were impressed of me coming from outside of Asia. Until... you know..." I didn't imagine her to pour her heart out. Why?

"I told you due to the fact that, you can get me. I feel safe talking about this stuff, Skull! Also, you were eventually gonna know anyway so, I just did it so I don't have to worry about it. I also want you to fully know my intentions of changing Kamoshida's heart. Suicide is no joke and thankfully, I'm a survivor. I wish to give courage to people who were in that dark world by setting them free. Seeing how that asshole treated her suicide really ticked me off. So, I wish to stop his acts for two reasons. First, to stop anything like that to happen again. Second, to avenge Shiho and the others he has wronged." She pumps herself up which, is actually kinda cute. She's been through so much... also willing to give everything to save anyone, even if she doesn't know them that much. "Joker, you're amazing..." I mutter not so loud but she was able to hear as she cocked her head. "What you just said... it was very admirable. That what makes you amazing..."

Akano's POV

"What you just said... it was very admirable. That what makes you amazing..." my heart skipped a beat as those words came from his lips. I don't think I'm THAT amazing... but man, if he wanted to, he could be the heartthrob high school boy type. "Heh, thanks dude. But I'm not the only one who's amazing in this castle. There's Mona, and you!" My face flushed pink and so did his. My lips formed a smile that put him more in ease. "Guys! This is bad!" Mona's voice broke the small silence Skull and I had as both of our attentions turned in his direction. "Wh-What's up? That was quick..." I guess it took Skull by surprise, "It's someone... she had a Shujin Academy uniform on and her hair is blonde in giant pigtails... SHE WAS TAKEN BY SHADOWS!" Wait, what? Ann's here? How did Ann get here? Does she have the app? "Blonde hair in pigtails... Takamaki!? How in the world did she get here!?" My thoughts exactly. "I don't know if it's her name, but she looks like that doll from the other day. The one who was all over Kanoshida's shadow." Yup, it's Ann. "We have to go and save her! Mona, lead us to her!" The cat-like-creature nodded and began to take the lead.

Ann's POV

Those guards just took me in this room and have me chained to a cross. 'Akano' has also been smirking at me this whole time. "Why are you doing this, Akano!? Why aren't you helping me!?" I can't believe this... this can't be her. "If only you were Princess Ann... then I could've helped you. Just wait. My king is on his way with Princess Ann, and with then we will decide your punishment, intruder!" she laughed while fiddling with her thighs. This is defiantly NOT Akano. "So, this is the intruder." You've got to be kidding me... "Kamoshida!?" another figure came into the picture. It was... me! Me in a really revealing pink swimsuit with pink pumps and matching cat ears. That... that can't be me... "I can't believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her. Thank you, Akano, for showing these dumb guards who's boss. My little bunny..." Kamoshida begins petting Akano's head as she purrs. Oh shit, he's only wearing a thong! "Are you afraid?" I have to bring this up, "What's with that outfit...? Have you lost your mind?" "I do as I please here. After all, this is my castle... the world of my desires" Holy fuck, what's going to happen? Am I on a red-light district thing? "What a lively slave." his chuckle just...

"This isn't funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!" Kamoshida smirks and turns to 'Princess Ann'. "The girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?" 'Princess Ann' just giggled and gave an airhead response. What the actual fuck is going on. "In that case... she should be executed." The guard's swords got closer to my neck while Kamoshida just spouted out more threats. Until...

Akano's POV

Us following Mona led us to a room where a scene played out that made me want to vomit. Girls from the volleyball team in seductive poses and acting like prostitutes from movies. "This is effed up... is that what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team...!?" This guy needs to pay, for everything he has done. "Hey, that's...!" I turned my head to see Ann chained to a cross, guard surrounding her and 'King' standing there like the asshole that he is. "Ann!" "Takamaki!" The two of us called out to Ann as she looked thrilled, "Huh? Is that you, Akano? And... Ryuji!". "Just when I was about to start enjoying myself... Akano, distract them." Huh? But, I'm Akano... I ain't gonna listen to him! Wait, who's that next to Doll Ann? It was... me! Me with a bunny suit along with bunny ears and a tail. Don't tell me... he made a doll version of me!? "Hehe, of course my King!" She walks over to Skull and rubs herself against him. "What the hell!? Get off of me! You're not the real thing!" He starts to fight back until she started using her chest. "Skull!" I pull him away from her as she seemed annoyed and walked back.

"She's too strict. Unfair." That is how he sees me... just some whore...? "Ugh! How dare you disrespect my Princess!" 'King' got even more pissed as he gave Doll Me to Doll Ann. "What's the deal with this guy...!?" He's a massive perv and he thinks of me and you as his small 'treasures'. I hate this guy more. "... how many times are you gonna come back? I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah... I forget that chick's name, but it's your fault she jumped, you know." You're really blaming Ann. Making her feel awful for what happened!? "You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place." "You bastard!" My thoughts exactly, Ann. Just because Ann couldn't get your dick wet, doesn't mean you should go and rape someone! "...!" Oh shit, the gold armor guy brought his sword closer to her throat. Skull and I desperately called out to her but he threatened us not to or else she will die. "Maybe I'll start with her clothes..." You've got to be fucking with me. "H-Hey, what are we gonna do!?" I'm thinking Skull, I'm thinking.

"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho...?"

Ann...

"That's more like it. You should've looked like this from the start."

Shut it you rat bastard!

"Shiho... I'm so sorry..."

"Ann! You're not at fault for what Shiho did! You both love and appreciate each other. From what you told me, you two were so close. When it comes to cases like this, it is NEVER the person who supports the other person's fault. It is the one who treated them like shit and nothing else. Do NOT blame yourself for what this bitch has done, stand up for yourself!" I had to. Ann was about to give up.

"Huh...? You're right. Letting this piece of shit toy with me... hehehe... what was I thinking...!?"

There we go Ann, go for it!

"It's like I always say. Slave should just behave and-"

"Shut up. I've had enough of this... YOU'VE PISSED ME OFF YOU SON OF A BITCH!?"

3rd Person POV

_"My... it's taken far too long." _

Ann's eyes change to yellow as she experiences the same migraine as Akano and Ryuji.

_"Tell me... who is going to avenge her if you don't? Forgiving him was never the option... such is the scream of the other you that dwells within... I am thou, thou art I... we can finally forge a contract..."_

"I hear you... Carmen... you're right! No more holding back...!" A red cat mask appears on the blonde, blue eyed girl as it sends shivers down King Kamoshida's back.

_"There you go... nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength."_

And with that, she ripped off the mask with blood curdling out of her face. Blue flames changed the young girl's uniform into a tight, latex, red catsuit with tons of zippers. Behind her was her persona. A masked woman with twin drills and a cigarette in her mouth, a poofy red dress that resembles a rose while the corset shows her cleavage, vines around her that tie to men with heart cases as heads and roses around her waist, and finally a pair of red knee high heels. The ultimate femme fatale, Carmen. Ann ran up to a guard and kicked his sword out of it's hand. With that, she struck down on the Doll version of herself. King Kamoshida kept hiding behind his high-ranking guard, "You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with... you scumbag." 'Bitch' was all he could respond with, "You stole everything from Shiho... you destroyed her... now it's your turn! I will rob you of everything...!" Akano, Ryuji and Morgana stood with her as the high-ranking guard turned into a demon on a toilet. "I've had enough of you! No one's gonna stop me now! Let's go, Carmen!"

Akano's POV

"How dare you deny King Kamoshida's love you selfish lass!? Pay for this insolence with your life!" Did this motherfucker on a toilet just say that? "That dirt-bag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don't make me laugh with the LOVE bullshit! C'mon Carmen! Let's give 'em hell!" With both Jack 'O Lantern's and Carmen's fire, we were able to get his health down low. Now it's Ann's turn. "Dance, Carmen!" Fire came from Carmen as it knocked it down. "All-Out-Attack!" I call as we got in formation. "Do it with style!" With Ann's words, we were able to end it with style indeed, "A beautiful rose has thorns!" And with that, the battle's over.

"Oh shit...!" Now the asshole just runs away. What I expected of a pussy. "Wait...!" Oh fuck, Ann's exhausted. She just fell while trying to get up. "Why are you here? And more importantly, how!?" Crap, that's right! She must've been near us when we triggered the app... "Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman!? Are you alright, Lady Ann!?" Of course Mona has a gentleman side, he's always calling me 'Lady Akano'. "Huh? What the hell is that!? A monster cat!?" Ha! Get wrecked, Mona! "M-Monster...? Gah! Now's not the time for that! You need to calm down and we'll help you out!" Keep trying Mona, chivalry died a long time ago. "How am I supposed to calm down!?" Holy shit, she just used him as a way to stand up. Ann, you're amazing. She then looked down and realized what she's wearing. "Huh!? Why am I dressed like this!? When did I-" Don't worry, I would be freaked out if my phantom thief outfit was like that. Thank god it's not. Now she's trying to hide her figure, especially in front of Ryuji. Guess she doesn't know Mona's a dude. "Ann! Calm down and we can get you out of here to explain everything. We need to retreat so that you can just sit down and understand the situation." I got to her level to say that. It took her a while but she nodded. "Skull, help me out." And with that, the two of us helped Ann up and led her to the exit.

_Shibuya, Underground Walkway..._

"You okay, Ann? That was a lot to take..." The two of us were on a chair while Morgana was in my bag and Ryuji was getting us drinks. "Yeah... it's just, what you said sounds unbelievable. But after seeing it all, I have no choice but to accept it. Heh, to think this is the only way to get back at that dick!" I know Ann. "At least your fast, unlike Ryuji..." Speak of the devil, Ryuji comes in with two bottles of soda. One cola and one melon soda. "Which one you want?" Ann asked for one that wasn't carbonated but neither of them were. Eventually, she just went the cola and Ryuji just gave me the melon soda. "Where's mine?" Morgana stuck his head out as Ryuji folds his arms, using the excuse that he's a cat. This made me feel bad for him. With a sigh, I took my water bottle lid and filled it with melon soda for Morgana to drink from. "Thank you Lady Akano!" seeing that just made both Ann and I chuckle. "You okay Ann? Have you calmed down?" My head cocked to the side as she nods. "Everything just happened all at once, I didn't know how to deal with it. What I will ask is, what is up with that me in a swimsuit and you in that bunny suit?" Ann's question made Ryuji go pink.

I know what he was thinking about. With zero effort, I slap his face as he groans. "If you're planning on 'fantasizing'about those dolls, don't do it in front of us!" "C'mon, I'm a guy. It's natural." I don't give a fuck, just don't do it in front of us! "*sigh* They are what Dog Shit thinks of us. He sees you as a bimbo and me a skank." Ann's expression changed drastically which I cannot blame her. I mean, I feel the same way. "From what you guys told me on the way here, if we steal the core of his words, his treasure, he would confess everything? If so... I want to join you. He will pay for what he's done to Shiho!" As expected of Ann. Ryuji just looked shocked while I giggled a bit, "You two know my answer. What say you? Yay or Nay?". Morgana jumped out of my bag and on my lap, "Yay Lady Akano! Welcome aboard Lady Ann!". I turned to Ryuji as he also agrees. "I won't let you guys down! I hope we work well together!" Ann's cheerful smile made both Morgana and I smile bright, "Oh yeah! Let's exchange contact information and chat ID too". And with that, we got each others numbers and chat ID.

I sense a strong fighting resolve from Ann...

_Back to interrogation room..._

"I doubt something as dangerous as your group could've been pulled off with orthodox methods. It wouldn't be odd if you had someone that was proficient in deceiving the eyes of others... if you're listening, then answer me!"

_Back to the past..._

_I am thou, thou art I..._  
_Thou hast acquired a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion _  
_that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Lovers Persona,_  
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_  
_shall lead to freedom and new power..._

Baton Pass= Allows you to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 more.

"Hold on, Morgana. Where are you gonna stay? You can't stay in the Metaverse..." my mind wandered as he jumped on my head. I'm seriously getting used to this now. He's actually lighter in this form than his other one. "I'll stay with Lady Akano. With her having the ability to change between personas at will, I want to watch over her." Wait, will Sojiro be okay with this? Meh, I don't care. I'll just make up a sob story and hope he'll fall for it. "That's all you, Aka~Tan. I can't take a cat home." Noted, Ryuji. "I'm always busy so that wouldn't be fair on Morgana." Noted, Ann. Fake sob story, confirmed. "Anyway, I got to go. I just remember I have to go somewhere, seeya guys!" I wave bye as my train was announced to be at the station in five minutes. I have to go to Takemi Medical Clinic for a checkup. Basically it's to see if my blood sugar is at an okay level and I have to go once a week. She will also ask for me to go a certain number of weeks without the gummies and eat like a normal high school student. What that means is to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily and go for takeout once a week. This is the stuff my old doctor told me that I'm fine with doing.

The train wasn't that long nor was it packed. Thank god. "Hey, Morgana. We're gonna go somewhere before we go home, 'kay?" I asked as he stuck his head out and accepted it. I made my way to find the clinic and with help from a kind woman on the street I was able to be there quick. "What's up?" A voice came from the reception the moment I stepped in here. There was a lady there with short dark blue hair, brown eyes and wearing a black dress with a white lab coat and red belt on top. "Um, I'm here to see Dr. Tae Takemi... is she here?" her tone just gave me the creeps. It was a mixture of monotone and a somewhat deep voice. Hell, she had a resting bitch face. I don't know if she's pissed or not. "I'm Dr. Tae Takemi. What's up?" She talks different from other doctors I've been to. I have yet to hear 'what's up?' from a doctor til now. "My name is Akano Kurusu, my doctor sent my files here due to me moving here." She begins to look through files as she eventually picks one up. It had my name. "Make your way to the examination room." I do as I was told and sat on a chair.

She did a few tests, one I had to prick my finger on and the other I put my finger into a thing called a 'Pulse Oximeter'. "Your vitals are normal. Try laying off the lollies for four weeks and eat more carbs. One last thing, jump on the scale." Takemi pulled out a scale while I took my shoes off and anything from my pockets that could affect the reading. Stepping on it, the scale showed '49.7kg' (109.6lbs). "You're underweight, at least gain three kilograms. Or not since it isn't that far off." This doctor is really saying this? Other doctors would just be straight up in this situation, ordering me to gain some. But she's really doing this? Eh, it's best not to question it. Takemi went to a cabinet and pulled out ibuprofen and handed it to me. "It's best to have painkillers with you. Take two twice a day starting tomorrow. That's all, you can leave now." And with that, she left the room. I do what she told me and made my way out.

**Hey guys! I actually have an announcement for you guys. So, since I'm gonna be busy for a few days (probably a few months too), I can't write as many chapters as I want to now. I will say when I will be more available but it isn't now. This also extends to Persona 4 (V) Female Protagonist also. Anyway, now that I got that out of the way, I want to talk about this chapter. Ann is my favorite character along with someone else later down the line. I wanted to make her awakening the best since it was one of three that made me cry and the other two that made me cry, I will try to top this one. Lastly, Akano's backstory. I went with this because I wanted to make Akano a tragic character who looks at life through a different lens. I'm only speaking from experience that I act like Akano and I think this is an easy approach for me to write about. Anyway, I'm done with this small A/N. Have a good day, bye!**


	14. AN 2 (Temperance Confidant)

**Hey guys! Another A/N for Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition! I was looking overstuff from Persona 5 and I realized that I can't get the Temperance Confidant. The way to is that Ryuji comes to Akira/Ren with a pamphlet for a maid service. I doubt that Ryuji would go to a girl to show a pamphlet for a maid service. Maybe he would if he thought Akano was a lesbian but sadly, he doesn't. He knows she's straight because he's trying to get with Akano (this isn't a spoiler due to it being kinda obvious and that this fanfic has RyujixAkano in it). But, I want to ask you guys. Should I have the Temperance Confidant the same in the game or should I do someone else. There is a character that I think would be a good decision but it's an OC. It's your choice whether you want the original or an OC be Temperance. Anyway, that's all I got. Bye!**


	15. AN 3 (Poll)

**Hey guys! This is an announcement that I'm gonna be putting up a poll for the question I asked for the A/N I made about the Temperance Confidant. Go and check it out!**


	16. Chapter 13 - Dealing

**Yay! Another chapter! But what will this chapter hold? Well, you just have to read on. I'm not spoiling it. I don't know when this is coming out but I've been analyzing the Joker trailer for Persona 5 Royal (my boi can dance lol) and also the PV#3. I still have zero clue about it. But I do have theories that can wait for the end of this chapter. So instead of sitting reading my notes, let's get to the chapter!**

Akano's POV

I managed to sneak Morgana in here but he wouldn't shut up. Sojiro found out and was pissed off that I bought a cat here but until I told him the sob story, he let him stay. Heck, the old man gave this cat a plate of pasta and even wanted to name him. Heh, that softy. "Looks like the chief likes me better than you." Very funny, Morgana. To be honest, I don't care. "... Lady Akano? I overheard the story you told Ryuji... your past seems hard to look on since you didn't go into much detail. I'm different though. I can't recall anything before I was captured by Kamoshida. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form." Morgana... "Is that form human...?" My question was shut down by his words full of confidence. The reason he did state is true, how can he talk? If Morgana was a cat then he won't be able to talk. "There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That's why I was in the castle in the first place." After that, he begins to nibble on the food. I can't believe I'm hearing a cat talk. This is one of many things I want to witness. Maybe being a magical girl will make it possible for me to see the things I want to see.

Holy shit, Morgana licked it clean. Must be a neat freak. "Let me make myself clear: your taking care of me won't be for nothing. It'll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools." Like lock picks and shit? But I can unlock shit with with a bobby pin. Then again, I don't own any. I usually steal from Akari. "Explain." The moment I said that, Morgana insisted that we strike a deal. The deal is that I take care of him and he teaches me how to make shit. Fair trade, I can deal with that. "It's a deal, Morgana!" his approval made my smile grew larger.

Morgana seems rather happy

_Back to the interrogation room..._

"Skillful infiltrations and escapes to all manner of places... there's even the possibility that you used special tools and had someone who manufactured them... answer me!"

Would you believe me it was a cat?

_Back to the past..._

_I am thou, thou art I..._  
_Thou hast acquired a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion _  
_that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Magician Persona, _  
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_  
_shall lead to freedom and new power..._

Infiltration Tools= Allows you to craft basic infiltration tools

Oh wait, I have to write in that journal. Um, should I include the Shiho thing? Eh, rather not. Kenny will find out soon anyway.

_4/15_

_Another day and I became closer to Ann. I also have a cat! His name is Morgana but I call him Mona for short. Don't you dare try and pet him without my permission! He's my cat, not yours._

That will piss him off. "Mona, turn around. I'm gonna change into my nightie." With that, he did so and I got into my pajamas, doing my usual routine as my phone buzzes. "Yo, you can look now. I'm gonna answer my cell." I turned my phone on as it shows Ann's name. Morgana looks on my phone as well.

An~ Thanks for everything today! You saved me, and I didn't even thank you properly Akano!

A~ It's fine Ann, really.

An~ No, it's not. Anyway, I wanted to say that one last time. You must be really annoyed with me constantly thanking you...

A~ It isn't I can tell you that much. It's actually kinda refreshing in a certain way!

An~ Really? Huh, weird. In a good way. Anyway, that's all I have to say. I'm drained from going to the Metaverse so I'm gonna crash now. Night!~

A~ Night!

Sigh, I should follow suit. "Morgana, come here. You're gonna be my plushy for the night!" I snatch him from his spot and hugged him while I slept. He didn't like it at first but after a few minutes he caved in. How is this cat so soft after being in the Metaverse for so long?

4/16

"Kurusu~San? Mr. Kamoshida is asking for you..." Mishima~Kun? I look at him as his face was full of worry. "Okay. I'll go." Of course I'm not going alone. "Morgana, jump in my bag. If anything goes South, go and find the other two." My words sent him to do what I said. Since it was lunchtime, it didn't seem so odd. Ann went to see Shiho today and will come after lunch while Ryuji is somewhere. No matter how odd it was, I have to keep my guard up. Anxiety grew as I stepped closer to the door. The bell's ring for the end of lunch rang on my way here. With my courage at a high, I pushed open the door. Even though how afraid I am, I have to be a good student. They always go to a teacher whenever they ask, no matter who it is. Egghead would just shrug it off, in this situation I'm alone. Morgana is my only line of defense. "Mr. Kamoshida? Mishima~Kun said you asked for me?" my voice was soft as I try to hide this fear building up. "Ah, Kurusu~San! How nice it is to see you. Come, take a seat." The only chair was the one Ryuji knocked over... "I wanted to talk about yesterday. I might've came off as a scary teacher when in reality, I'm not." Says the guy who rapes high school girls.

**WARNING! SEXUAL ASSAULT**

Suddenly, he moves forward to me on his computer chair. His hand rests on my knee, "I actually have something to tell you... if you agree to it," my body tensed up when he begins to massage my thigh, moving his fingers all around. "Tell me what it is and I might agree!" Bad acting! He's gonna know! "I'm pretty sure you know what it is. I'll let you and your little friends go, forgetting yesterday happened, if you and I have some fun..." Kamoshida grew closer to my face, caressing it while playing with a strand of my hair, moving his hand up my skirt. I didn't know what to do, I froze. "What's your answer...?" from moving away from my face, his hand gropes my right breast while I try to hold back. "N-No..." I was able to mutter out. With a chuckle, he moved away and returned to his work. "You have until the day before the board meeting. Have a nice day, Kurusu~San!" My body just lunged for the exit. "Lady Akano! Are you alright?" Morgana's head stuck out from my bag. I then remembered I closed it so no one sees him. He must've had a hard time getting out... "Morgana, go to Ann. Don't tell her what happened. I'll tell her and Ryuji." The cat jumped out and escaped to the classroom building.

**WARNING OVER. SUMMARY: KAMOSHIDA MADE AKANO A DEAL. THE DEAL IS THAT IN ORDER TO RE-INSTATE THE THREE OF THEM, SHE MUST SLEEP WITH HIM. WHILE SAYING THIS, HE TOUCHES AKANO. SHE LEAVES AND TELLS MORGANA TO GO TO ANN.**

What just happened...? Why did I freeze...? Why didn't I just tell him to stop...?

I can still feel his hands on my body. Why? Why to me? Why to anyone? Ann, female volleyball members, Shiho and now me? "Aka~Tan? Why aren't you in class?" That voice! Ryuji! "Oh, um... I thought I would try skipping!" Please say he fell for it... "Oh! Why didn'tcha tell me? C'mon let's skip together!" His hand then rests on my shoulder. Flashes of him in front of me with that sinister grin play in my mind. "No!" With all of my speed, I bolt down the stairs, outside and into one of the alleys. "Aka~Tan! Where did you go!?" I'm sorry Ryuji... I wait for him to leave the area as I bolt to the train station. Thank god it's packed. Or is it a bad thing? Gah! I don't care. I just need to get out of here and clear my head. I'll explain this to them... once I calmed down.

Ann's POV

Huh? Where's Akano? She said she would be here. Just like Ms. Kawakami but look at that, she's not here. Wait, Mishima's acting more paranoid than usual... "Mishima! What's wrong? You look more fidgety than-" I was cut off by a familiar voice then a cat in the hallway. "Morgana? Where's Akano?" I bent down to his level for him to answer me but he just jumps in my bag. Ooookay, weird but it's probably because Ms. Kawakami just came in. I sat in my desk when my phone buzzes off. Huh? Ryuji?

R~ Ann! Is Aka~Tan in class?

Aka~Tan? Oh! Akano!

An~ No. She was in school, Morgana's here in my bag...

R~ I know. I bumped into her but she was acting weird. She said she was skipping but when I offered to go somewhere, she went on a panic attack and ran away. How is she that fast?

An~ Now's not the time. Meet me in front of the school, I'm gonna get out of class.

R~ Okay, see ya.

My hand raised and I asked to go to the bathroom. She said yes and I took my bag. Normally, students shouldn't take their bags if they're going to the bathroom but Kawakami doesn't care. Dodging past teachers, I eventually made it to the front of the school. Ryuji was checking his phone with a worried expression on his face. "Oh, you're here. Morgana, what happened?" His voice was full of curiousity but the cat stayed in my bag. "Look, let's just find her. I'll go check Shibuya train station, Morgana look at Shibuya underground mall while you check Central Street." And with that, the three of us walked to the train station and departed from there.

Akano's POV

Realization hit me when I remembered Ryuji. Shit, he must hates me now... my mind turns dark

~Timeskip~

Central street was still busy even without a single student in sight. Well, not counting me. I was able to get me a burger from Big Bang Burger, thank god I have my bag and purse. I was beginning to feel a bit faint too. Sigh, what should I do? I don't want to get expelled and go to juvie, and I don't want Mishima~Kun and Ryuji to get expelled either. But I also don't want him to get what he wants, he doesn't deserve it. Is stealing his heart difficult? Maybe I should-

"AKANO WATCH OUT!"

Huh? I look up to find I'm on the road near a whole bunch of apartments. Not only that, but a car was coming my way. It's too close! I won't be able to get away! Horns began blaring but I stayed, frozen in place, with fear in my eyes. I was expecting to get hit but instead, I was being pulled forward. My eyes closed as arms embraced me with panting in my ears. "Holy shit... I was worried about you... but I wasn't expecting this. What the hell, man!? You could've died there!? Weren't you paying attention?!" I know that voice. Ryuji. He pulls away, giving me a serious, angry expression while holding my shoulders. "... what if I want too..." my voice was weak and quiet which led Ryuji to shake my shoulders, "Don't say that! What would your choice make the people around you do!? Have you considered how _I'll_ feel?!" This rush of emotions I'm feeling... I have to break down. I can't hold it in any longer. Tears quickly fall as I lunge into his chest, crying into his shirt. The blonde student began rubbing my back, assuring that I'll be fine and to let it all out.

**Hey guys! So, this chapter seems rushed. Yup. But, not as rushed as Persona 5 Anime (just saying, P5 Anime isn't that bad in my opinion but I will shit on it for obvious reasons). But anyway, this chapter. It's short. I though it would be good short because of the predicament. Also, this is based off of the fanfic, Persona 5: A Female's View by TheGGGina from , go check them out! This was what inspired me to write this fanfic to begin with. Another piece of media the ending of this chapter was based on was a scene from Masamune-Kun's Revenge (Masamune-Kun No Revenge). I personally thought the scene in particular was one of the sweetest things Masamune ever did for Adagaki. I doubt that he did it for revenge (not a spoiler, it's in the trailer anyway) because when he is doing it for revenge, you can tell. This scene was full of emotion and I love it! Okay, anyway I've been rambling for too long. I hope you'd enjoy this!**

**And just as promised, I'll be talking about my theories for Persona 5 Royal.**

**1\. Takuto Maruki is EVIL! ~ He's too sus guys.**

**2\. Kasumi is like Akechi ~ They both seem to have powers (most likely from Yaldabo) that has to do with emotions. Akechi's power is to turn people psychotic, which is an emotion, and Kasumi's is to grant dreams and desires which emotions are key.**

**3\. Akechi= Law, Akira= Neutral & Kasumi= Chaos ~ Just makes sense to me**

**4\. Kasumi is Joker's canon girlfriend ~ I know Atlus doesn't like doing this but, I can see it. The trailers are showing that Joker is saving her (I know he saved Makoto but if a rock was coming towards someone, you get them out of the way.). There's also the fact her thief outfit looks like Joker's**

**5\. Kasumi had the power of persona from Yaldabo but was stripped of it when he found out Kasumi was going up against him. Is that a possibility, getting your persona stripped away? I think that Persona 4 Arena Ultimax had something similar cuz of the Shadow selves are playable characters. I'm only saying this because in PV#3, she had her thief wear on but it dissolves. The only other character that had that was Joker back in Dog Shit's castle.**

**That's the theories I want to disclose now. There are much, much more I have up my sleeve. If you want me to write more theories, tell me and I'll gladly do so!**


	17. Chapter 14 - Recover

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry I've been away for a while, I actually got food poisoning by fries of all things. I've also been stressed out lately and I'm glad I have time to do this. One last thing, I will be posting a little more frequently in a week because I'm finally gonna relax. Yay! Anyway, let's get this started!**

Akano's POV

Ryuji took me to the diner in Shibuya as we waited for Ann. He told me he texted her and bought me a caramel milkshake. The moment Ann saw me, she ran up and hugged me tight to the point where I couldn't breathe. "Okay, Ann. Let her go or you're gonna kill her," With that, she let me go and sat next to me. Morgana jumped out of Ann's bag and began purring on my right arm. Fiddling with the straw like Ann did that day, I told them everything what happened. Tears fell from my eyes and landed on Morgana. The three grimaced at me story. "To think he would stoop so low, to threaten you with expulsion and time in juvie. On top of that, that asshole is forcing you to have sex with him if you don't want to be expelled. Especially what happened to Shiho. What a despicable human being..." The blond foreigner gave me a side hug as the other blond continued to look down, not saying anything. "Morgana. By their reactions, you didn't tell them, right? ... thank you for respecting my privacy. It's getting late, we all should go home. Good night."

With that, I left with Morgana and my heart still in pain. Sipping on my milkshake, I look out to Shibuya. There was still a little light left in the area but it had an orange tint to it. "Aka~Tan..." I turned around to see Ryuji standing behind me which took me by surprise. "... what's up Ryuji?" I guess he didn't like that response because he gritted his teeth. "Aka~Tan... you wanna hang out tomorrow? Just the two of us?" Now that took me by surprise, wasn't expecting that. I thought about it a bit and gave a small nod. He gave me a goofy smile and a big thumbs up which made me giggle before walking to Shibuya train station. "Hey Morgana? I forgot to ask this but do we need anything for going in a Palace?" "I was wondering when someone was gonna ask that. We at the very least need medicine to heal ourselves along with weapons and armor. You know where we can get any of those?" The moment I heard 'medicine', Takemi came straight to mind. Won't she be a little questioned if I go back there after just a day though? Well, she seems to not care about most things, she may not care about why I'm going there. The train stopped and I immediately walked to the clinic. Just like yesterday, it was empty with Takemi behind the counter. "Hmm? Why are you here?" Crap... "I need more painkillers, I ran out..." Please say she fell for it...

With a sigh, she goes to the cabinets with medicine and pulls out two boxes of Recov-R 50mg and a bottle of magnesium tablets. "You got 2 50mg tablets. Take every 4-6 hours, don't exceed 6 tablets a day, take one for minor pain and two for major pain, yadah, yadah, yadah, just read the instructions. Also, I put in 60 capsules of magnesium tablets for your hypoglycemia, again just read the instructions. 2,500 yen. Or do you want to pay later?" Shit, I forgot you need money. Eh, mom and dad are gonna give me cash so it won't be bad. "Later, just put it on my tab." Takemi places them in a plastic bag then hands it to me. I try to reach out to it but she grip onto it firmly. "I know you don't need these, I'm not an idiot. But I won't ask why you need them because that's not my job. As long as you use them respectively, you'll be fine." as she finished, the door opened. In the doorway was a man with a briefcase and a suit. "Have a nice day ma'am. You sir, come into the examination room." with his affirmation nod, the two went into the other room.

"What's the reason for your visit, sir? Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete's foot? Whatever it is... you'll have to take a number..."

"... enough of this! You're the only one who could've developed that type of medicine."

Medicine? What's this about? She can make her own medicine?

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Don't play dumb with me. Rumor has it, it's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power."

"Really? That's news to me."

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, or any herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue."

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack..."

"The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You're a disgrace to the medical community.

"... tsk!"

Don't blame you Takemi...

"What's with that look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that 'medicine' immediately and resign. The name 'Tae Takemi' will never- Hey! Is somebody there!?"

Oh shit! Practically running out, I hid behind a wall and began breathing heavily. "Geez, that was close. Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous... could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine...?" The cat poked his head out of my bag as I sigh. "Let's think about this later, I'm too stressed out to think of this stuff." Slowly, I walked to the cafe. Sojiro was behind the counter and only one person at a booth. The usual. "I'm heading to bed. Night, Sojiro." my body grew lethargic as I walked to my bed and collapsed. "Morgana, can you nudge my journal here please? I can't be bothered to stand up again..." with a sigh, the cat jumped to my journal and began nudging it in my direction.

_'4/16'_

_'Today has been eventful. I don't know if I could ever write it down in here so when I'm ready, I'll tell you myself. I'm just glad that Ann and Ryuji care so much about me. They supported me when I needed them and if they need me, I will be there for them. Another thing is that Ryuji asked me out. Not in that way, a friend way. I hope this takes my mind off what happened.'_

With that last thing done, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

4/17

I wake up with Morgana putting his paws on my face. "Hey! You're gonna miss out hanging out with Ryuji!" Oh right, I got to meet up with Ryuji. Guess I'll get ready. Shit! I slept in my uniform. I'll have to wash 'em before I leave. Morgana faced the wall so I could put on my over-sized, dark blue sweater and my white high-waist jeans along with my white scarf. There was also brown boots somewhere so I decide to wear them. My hair gets tied up in my usual hair style as Morgana jumps in my handbag. We leave with Sojiro waving goodbye and the train arriving when I get there. Shibuya appear quicker than usual as I begin to look around for Ryuji.

Ryuji's POV

It's 9. Should I text her if she's coming? "Ryuji!" Wait, that was her! Hold on... ah! There she is! I can see her hair. "Aka~Tan! Over here!" People move out of the way and I see her looking at me. She begins to run up to me as I just stare at her. Her dark blue sweater contrasts with her hair, the white jeans that hug her calves makes her outfit more brighter and the boots along with her scarf gives her a cozy feel to her. Absolutely breathtaking. Ugh, I need to stop this, "Heh, Ryuji. I know I'm sexy but you don't have to go staring at me like that..." I was pulled back into reality because of that. To my surprise, Akano's face showed embarrassment but also delight. "O-Oh, uhhh... sorry..." She just laughed at my attempt to change the topic and clung herself onto my arm. "So where you taking me? Far far away, huh 'Prince Charming'?" That phrasing was what I needed to turn from my pale skin tone to beet red. "Haha! I'm kidding. But really, where we going?" "Actually," Holy crap, Morgana's here?! "We need to find a place to buy weapons and armor before you two go on your date. You know any places, Ryuji?" A place for weapons and armor? Only one place comes to mind, "I know of a place. I go there whenever I feel like looking at cool stuff," and with that, the three of us walk in that direction.

It took us a while but we made it. 'Untouchable' was the place. There was tons of military themed stuff around and it seems that this girl's into that stuff too. She's looking at everything in awe, it's kinda cute. Gah! Yeah, I really need to stop this... "Ooh! Model handguns... this one's a Beretta 92FS!" Akano holds up one of the many model handguns and begins to fiddle with it a little. "Wow, haven't seen anyone pick that up and say the name without looking at the tag," the man by the counter folded over his newspaper for him to see the both of us. "Oh! My uncle was a gun enthusiast back in the day and now he only carries model versions." The red head explained as he 'hmm's her and resumes reading his newspaper. "I'll buy this stuff later. I need the apology money. At least I know where to go for these sorts of items." Aka~Tan puts back the model handgun as the two of us step out of the shop.

A sigh escapes the red head's lips as her ash grey eyes look at me with expectation while her glasses glare green from the LED lights of Untouchable. "So now that we know where to get this stuff, let's go have fun Ryuji!" yet again, she clings herself onto my arm. I can actually get used to this. "Hold on! I have to tell you that at 3, I'm gonna go to the hospital to see Shiho." Okay, sounds reasonable. "How bout... the arcade?" Akano's eyes light up with her lips curling into a smile as her head nods. We both walk out of the alley and to the arcade just a few feet away. The sign, 'Gigolo' lights up the same way Akano does. "It's been a while since I've been to an arcade... let's make these games our bitches! C'mon!" and with that, the girl charges off into the arcade. I was there, shocked. Never would've imagined she would be a geek. An otaku, yes, but not a geek. I step in and she's playing DDR on the hardest level, not missing a beat. Holy shit, she's got the highest score! Hoards of people surround her and begin clapping when the song ends. Small hints of fear were on her face but was immediately erased when she saw me.

We exchanged smiles with pink tinting her face. Cute. "Enter your name." The mechanic voice spoke as Akano put in 'Aka' in to the screen. Next to that was her score of 9,000,000,007. What the actual fuck, man. She's got skills. "Hehe, Ryuji! What do you want to play next?" She asks, looking at me with expectation. "Well... how bout that racing game?" I point to a dual racing game with Mario on it as she jumps up and down. We walk towards it, each putting 200 yen and begin to race each other. I ended up winning with her giving me a pout. Even with that pout, she seemed pleased as ever. Just what I wanted.

~Timeskip~

The two of us continued to play all the games until I heard a stomach growl. "You hungry, Aka~Tan?" Embarrassed, she nods a little. Maybe we should go to the diner again...

Akano's POV

Ryuji leads me to the diner from yesterday that wasn't as crowded as the arcade. It actually looks relaxing, maybe I should come here sometime. Crap, I need to go... "Hey, Ryuji? Choose a place for us to sit? I'll be back, I need to use bathroom." I excuse myself and hand him my bag. Like hell I'll bring Morgana into the girl's bathroom. Walking into the bathroom, I do my business and walk up to the sink and mirror to wash my hands. You know what? While I'm at it, I'll wash my face too. It's getting dry and my moisturizer is in my bag. After splashing water on my face, I look up in the mirror and saw... Kamoshida! He was smirking at me as he reached out to me. The moment I saw this, I turned around and to my surprise, no one's there. With a sigh of relief, my heart beat returns to normal. No matter how deep I hide it, it's a scar that can never be healed. Even if it wasn't as bad as other's stories, it's how it affects a person that matters. I never want to be in or hear about someone in this situation.

Morgana's POV

Good, she's gone. I need to speak with Ryuji about something. The young, blonde boy chooses a booth and puts the bag I'm in on the table. "Ryuji I need to ask you something!" I blurt out as he looks at me relaxed and nods. "It's about this 'date' you asked Lady Akano. Why did you suddenly ask her out?". He sighs and leans forward, "I asked her for the sole purpose that it should be obvious. When I saw her on the road, almost getting hit, she was crying so much that it could be a waterfall. But when we met up with Ann, she acted entirely different. I know she's hiding her true feelings so I'm gonna make sure she's genuinely happy." I never knew Ryuji could be this kind. I mean, he's too brash and vulgar and doesn't think before rushing in. Who knew he was like this...?

Akano's POV

Walking out of the bathroom, Ryuji spots me and waves me over. "Sorry I took a while. You didn't have to wait for me..." Sheepishly, I sat down as a waitress took our orders. Ryuji ordered a steak plate and I ordered a crab salad with a bottle of ramune. "Ryuji... why did you asked me out? You're so kind to me yet I haven't done much for you... I don't deserve it..." a single tear fell from my eye. A hand fell upon mine and I looked up. It was Ryuji. "What are you talking about? You saved my life, took care of my wound, treated me like I was a normal person, trust me enough to told me your story, you've done so many things that I appreciate. You may not see these as big like that ones I've done, I see them as so much. As for why I invited you, I know that even if you smile in front of Ann, Morgana and I, inside you're in so much pain. I want you to genuinely smile and try to forget what happened." Ryuji... more tears fall but my lips form a smile. Standing from my seat, I sit next Ryuji and rest my head on his shoulder. "This is the only time I'm gonna be like this. Enjoy it as lasts." and with that, the waitress comes with our food.

Rank 2= Allows you to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 more

~Timeskip~

It's 3. The Shiho visit... "Thanks for today, Ryuji. I loved it. I really wished we met a whole lot sooner. Now I'm gonna go and see Shiho, I'll tell her you said hi and wished her well. Bye!" Taking my bag, I stood up and waved by with Ryuji. After exchanging smiles, I exited the diner and walked towards the station.

Ryuji's POV

I did it. She may not have forgotten, but that smile was genuine. My job is complete.

_PI! PI! PI!_

Huh? Ann?

An- How was you and Akano~Chan's date?

R- First, it wasn't a date. It was two friends hanging out. Second, it went well. She's finally not fake smile.

An- Whatever you say. As long as that fake smile's gone, you got a point. Anyway, I'm gonna leave the hospital so she and Shiho can speak alone. It's better if it's alone.

R- Okay, see you tomorrow Ann

An- See you tomorrow.

Akano's POV

I'm finally at the hospital. It didn't take too long. I even bought a bouquet of white gladiolus' and purple hyacinths. "Hello ma'am, who are you visiting?" the receptionist asked as I regained my composure. "Shiho Suzui? I'm a friend of hers..." looking through her papers, he found Shiho's name. "Room 5-S. I must say, she is still in a comatose state. Unresponsive." Nodding in affirmation, I make my way to Shiho's room.

Inside Shiho's Room,

Opening the door, I see a hospital bed with Shiho on it and someone on a chair next to it. "Who are you?" it was a woman in the chair, "I'm Akano Kurusu, I'm from Shujin..." "Akano Kurusu? Oh! You're the one Ann~Chan was talking about... I'm Shiho's mother." Her mother...? Taking three hyacinths from the bouquet, I hold it out the her with a bow. "I'm so, so, so sorry! I tried to save her but I wasn't strong enough! If I was strong enough, Shiho wouldn't be here! Please, I ask for your forgiveness!" Falling to my knees, tears run down my face and sobs fill the room. A gentle hand presses on mine and I looked up. "It's not your fault, sweety! You only tried to save her, if you didn't, she may be in a worse state then now. I am at fault, if only I had done something before hand, nothing like this would've ever happened!" Tears were also running down Suzui~San's face. I didn't knew what to do. All that came to my head, was comforting her. I wrap my arms around the aged woman as she does the same for me.

**Hey guys! It's been a while since I've updated this and I'm glad I got the chance to! I hope you like this chapter! I wanted it to have wholesome feels in it and this is what I got. Also, the flowers. Gladiolus means strength of a character, faithfulness, sincerity, integrity and never giving up. A white gladiolus is like any other white flower, giving it the meaning of both innocence and purity. Next is a hyacinth. Hyacinths are flowers with many meanings depending on the color. Giving a person a purple hyacinth means that you're asking for their forgiveness. I thought that they would be good choices for a Shiho visit. Anyway, I hope you liked the wholesome feels, bye!**


	18. Chapter 15 - I Wish To Be Stronger, Sis!

**Hey guys! It's been a while since I've updated on any of my fanfics so here's another one! You guys might be like, "What the fuck?" by the title but I promise you, the reason on it will become clear. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Akano's POV

I return home with my face still wet from visiting Shiho. Her mother is so kind, she doesn't have to go through this pain. Is this how my parents were when I jumped? I now feel horrible... "Hey, you okay? Your crying..." Sojiro's words cut right through my thoughts. I wiped my eyes to feel more tears falling. "Oh, just a lot of things that happened these past few days." Will he leave it? "Well, there's no one here and I'm planning to close up shop. If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears. Only if you're comfortable with it," is he, concerned about me? Should I tell him? "Okay... Tell me you won't tell Kenny, please? I want to tell him when I want to," with him nodding I tell him everything, leaving the Kamoshida thing and me nearly getting hit for obvious reasons. There was a few times when he would go 'huh?' and 'what the fuck?' but I knew he was listening. "Wow, never imagined you would go through that stuff. I hope that you and your friends stay out of this drama. I'm glad you opened up to me, if anything else happens, don't be afraid to confide in me." Sojiro... Thanks. With a small smile, I walk upstairs.

"Morgana, face the wall please." He did as I said as I changed into my nightie, removing both my glasses and ribbon. The pair of scissors I used to cut my ribbon layer on the shelf next to where I placed both of my other items. My gaze stayed there for what could be forever. "Lady Akano... Are you okay?" Morgana meowed, jumping on the shelf behind my glasses. "Yeah, I'm fine... I'm just hungry... I'll be back in a bit." I told him while taking the scissors downstairs. Instead of going to the kitchen, I go into the toilet. My attention goes to the mirror as the emotions begin to pour out more. I don't know what I did but what I do know is that blood was trickling down my leg. To match, the scissors had a bit of blood on it.

"Onee~Chan! Please, stop!"

"Don't say that! What would your choice make the people around you do!? Have you considered how I'll feel?!?"

Akari...? Ryuji...?

"Akano... Whatever you did, please don't continue. I can tell that this hurts, but you need to be strong. If you can't, let me be your strength."

Huh? Who's that?

"You know who I am. I'm always here with you. You will figure out who I am soon but you need to listen to me."

I look down at the blood on both the scissors and my leg. With a sigh, the thought 'what am I doing?' goes through my head. Rinsing the scissors, I put it at the same height as my shoulders and began cutting.

Morgana's POV

She isn't up yet. I should go check on her. Walking downstairs, I see no one was in the kitchen but the bathroom door slightly ajar. Cutting sounds came from there so I carefully walked in. Red was on the ground. "Morgana...?" I look up at the face who called my name as my eyes went wide. Lady Akano's pale face was framed with her red hair that was now shoulder length. I then notice droplets of blood falling on the ground from her leg. "What happened Lady Akano?" She sighs and told me what she did. Her mind went dark as she cut her leg. Voices of Ryuji and her little sister made her stop and she wanted to be strong so she cut her hair. Lady Akano then got a broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the hair. We went upstairs to bandage up her wound and went to sleep.

Akano's POV

Stepping downstairs to get breakfast, Sojiro looks at me with a shocked expression on his face. "When did you get a rebirth?" I chuckle at his question and go to eat my breakfast while telling him why I cut my hair, leaving the cut on my leg out. After eating, I leave Leblanc, flipped the sign and walked towards the station. It's been a while since my hair used to be this short, I kinda like it.

BZZZT* *BZZZZZT* *BZZZZZZT*

Huh? Mom? What does she want?

"Mom? What do you want?"

"Hey honey! I have a question for you. It's about Akari... She misses you and wants to be with you for this year."

I don't think Akari should be here when I'm in this situation. Though, maybe if she's here, I can feel better...

"Um, it's fine with me. You need to ask Sojiro about this. When is she coming over?"

"When we get Sojiro's permission, I'll tell you so you can pick her up. Anyway, we'll talk later. You need to get to school, bye! Love you!"

She hung up the phone. So, Akari might be here. That's nice, Ann, Morgana and Ryuji can meet her! I hope she can put ease to my system. The moment I was near the gate, my stomach dropped. Kamoshida. Please say he can't recognize me... "Good morning, Kurusu~San. Love the new look you got there." His hand blocks my path to go inside the gates. Fear begins radiating from me as I step back. Students look in our direction but it doesn't bother the older man. "Remember my deal, Akano?" His whispers sent shivers down my spine. Him calling me by my first name is weird enough, teachers can't do that. "Lady Akano! Stay strong!" Thanks, Morgana. I needed that. "Stay away from me. If not, you WILL regret it." This made him laugh. I can't believe it, this asshole is laughing. "I will NOT let you taunt me anymore. Now, goodbye Mr. Kamoshida." With a smirk, I walk past him as he looks on in shock. Serves you right, dipshit. "Akano?" That's... Ann! I turn back and she her shocked face at my hair. "You're hair... IT'S SO CUTE!" Her squeals made me blush a bit as she hugs me with a huge smile.

"Ann? Who's your... friend...?" Ryuji's voice cut the hug short as I turn towards him his mouth was wide open which made Ann, Morgana and I laugh. "What? Surprised I can rock short hair too? Hehe, don't be surprised of anything I do." "Aka~Tan!? You cut your hair!?" I managed to calm him down and took the both of them to the roof. Telling them the reason I cut my hair was harder than it sounds. Ryuji would interupt me at times which Ann, Morgana and I would scold him. I also spoke of what happened earlier with Kamoshida. "Wow, your so strong Akano... I don't think I can ever do that." Ann's praise made me smile melancholy. "If I'm being honest, I was scared. Hell, I'm still scared. What I can do for now, is change his heart with you guys. I'm gonna rely on you three as I hope you'll rely on me." My grip around my knees grew tighter as I kept it close to my chest. Ann gave me a side hug along with Ryuji as Morgana purrs against my legs. I'm safe with these guys. Just then, the door to the rooftop opens. Morgana ducks down as the school kids look on. It was a girl with short, wavy, brown hair wearing the gym clothes. In her hands is gardening equipment. "Oh geez, sorry. I didn't know you three we here. Are you going to be here for long? I just want to take care of the crops up here before school starts." She asks as we all leave.

~Timeskip~

The final bell rings and I message everyone to get ready to go to the palace. Once we make it into the Metaverse, Ryuji and Morgana won't stop staring at Ann. Horny bastards. "What are you staring at?" Hah! Nice one Ann! "Oh, I was wondering what we should call you." Yeah right, Ryuji. "What do you think Joker?" "Joker? Call me? What are you talking about?" Oh yeah, she doesn't know. We fill her in as I start thinking about code names. "What about... Flare?" I threw out but was shot down by Ann. "Kitty Woman?" What the fuck, Ryuji? "I want to be more than a kitten, Ryuji. Flare's a better code name than 'Kitty Woman'" Ha! Get fucked, Ryuji! "She's a cougar..." Okay! NOPE! She's not a cougar, Morgana. "What about... Panther? Sounds ferocious, right Akano?" Eh, better than Skull so sure. Ann is now Panther. As we walk closer to the entrance, a flash of blue stops me. Turning my head, I see Justine next to a prison door. "My master would like a word with you." Okay Justine. Stepping into the Velvet Room, Igor starts to speak. Nothing really special, he just gave me the power of fusing Personas in the Velvet Room by executions.

With this, I fuse Jack O Lantern and Agathion together to make Silky passing on Rakunda. Wait, what the fuck is happening? Holy shit! That's fusion? I feel so bad... Igor why? I hate you.

Rank 2= Third Eye~ Allows to see things that are hidden from the naked eye.

Fuck you Igor. Leaving the Velvet Room, the others were looking at me weirdly. Apparently, when I was in there, I was just staring into space. Fuck you Igor. As we infiltrated the palace, Morgana taught us how to sneak around to ambush shadows. This is awesome! This shadow in particular was that horse shadow from when Ryuji awakened. I remember their weaknesses. "Skull! They're weak to electricity!" "Got it! Let's go Captain!" They get knocked to the ground. I want to get it, let's try!

"Give me your power!"

_"Then let's talk then. Why are you wasting your time on me? Do I look special?"_

"Your just a horse with horns on your head"

_"Hah! Nice. How do you think this whole thing plays out? You think I'll be good on your team?"_

"To be honest, no. But I'm willing to take that chance"

_"Wow, you wound just like me. Huh? What's going on. Oh that's right! I'm not a slave of King Kamoshida! My name is Bicorn! I am thou, thou art I"_

Bicorn gets sucked into my mask and we get going. "Holy shit! That. Looked. AWESOME! How does it work Joker?" Who knew Panther can be this impressional. Huh? Nice to know. As Mona tells Panther what's up, Skull and I go on ahead of them. "Hey, so... Your leg. What happened? It's bandaged up like it's a bad injury..." I look down and see that the bandage is in full view. Shit, I forgot that the skirt is short and leggings aren't apart of my thief outfit. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it or look at it!" Frantically, I rush ahead while also trying to hide the bandage.

~Timeskip~

We did pretty well. We found two safe rooms, got a map and got another Jack O Lantern with a new Persona, Berith. Ryuji's Persona learnt Lunge, Ann's now has Dormina and lastly, Morgana has Patra. I went on ahead and beat some shadows to lose some steam but next time I'm gonna let them get ahead so they can get stronger. Though doing all this... I'm quite tired. "Joker, you look exhausted. Should we leave for now? You're our trump card, if anything were to happen to you..." Mona's right. Not that I'm the trump card, it's just if one of us is tired, we could all crumble. With a nod, we fast travel to the entrance. Panther activated the app as our surroundings morphed into the normal world. "That was a good run guys! Let's go ho... me" covering my mouth for a yawn, we desperse. The ride to Leblanc was the same as usual so once I got home, I was relieved. "Hey! What's this about your sister staying over?" Sojiro's thoughts pierced through my exhausted state. I look up and see Sojiro behind the stand as usual and someone in one of the booths. Someone who had long, black hair and ash grey eyes. A young girl with a white off-shoulder top, black singlet underneath and black skirt with white stripes. "Onee~Chan!" I can't believe it. "Akari!" Opening my arms, she runs into them, wrapping our arms around each other. "I thought I had to pick you up from the station... How did you get here?" At that moment, Sojiro told me that when he agreed, mom dropped her off. Why? I don't know. Mom is mom, unpredictable. "Oh, okay. Come on upstairs sis!" The two of us go upstairs as we begin to talk about small things. She met Morgana and she took care of him while I changed. "Why did you start cutting again?" Shit, I forgot she remembers. "It's nothing sis! Just a cat scratch from Morgana!" "Hey!" Shut up, cat. "Even he's calling you out on a lie. Onee~Chan, tell me. I promise you I won't tell a soul!" She looks at me with a worried expression. I can't keep things from her when she has that face. I tell her what's been going on with Kamoshida and Shiho, leaving out the Metaverse entirely. In the end, she hugged me, telling me I'll be fine. "I want to be like you. I wish to be stronger, Onee~Chan!" Akari... "To be stronger, I think I need to help you with your problem... AHA! I've got an idea! I don't know if mom told you this but mom said that since I'll be here for a year, she said I can be home schooled for the year! Because of this, I can try and give you some time to recouperate and get your mental health in check. I can do favors for you!" I don't feel up to doing child labor, sis. "Don't think of it as child labor!" How'd she knew what I was thinking? "Think of it as me doing my own stuff and the two of us benefiting from it. I won't feel as bored." Boredom is the worst. "Look Akari, I'll let you do whatever you want. Just don't tell Sojiro it's for me." Her face shows glee as she hugs me tighter.

_Back in the interrogation room..._

"Since you're a student, you don't have much time to do much as a phantom thief. You must've had someone do all your side stuff. Who was it?"

_Back to the game..._

_I am thou, thou art I_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Temperance Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power._

Tiny Help= Able to do small things for the Phantom Thieves.

**Hey guys! Is this chapter good? Huh? Why did Akano cut her hair? Well, in Japan, hair cutting represents rebirth. Samarais would cut their top knots for this reason. I thought that a way for her to help move on would be rebirth. Another thing is Akari's confidant. She is the new Temperance! I had a few people who would work as the Temperance confidant but I chose Akari! Here's what Tiny Help does. It allows Akari to go to Takemi's to go and get healing items and she takes them to the school. She also can wash clothes and make lockpicks while Akano's in school. I know that it sounds like Kawakami's but Kawakami's confidant is so useful! Don't worry, she has a different story to Kawakami so it isn't too similar. Anyway, that's all I got. Bye!**


	19. Chapter 16 - Ryuji's Past Part 1

**Hey guys, it's been a while since I've updated this. Sorry, my mental health has been all over the place but now I'm in a good place to where I can improve it. I don't want to get into it because it's personal but I want you guys to know that I am fine so you guys have no need to worry. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.**

4/19

Waking up, I see that Akari isn't on the futon Sojiro helped me set up. She might be downstairs. Ugh, I gotta get up. I don't want to go to school, not after what happened. But I have to. Changing my clothes, my phone buzzes off. The name, 'Akiro' was on it. "Yo, Akiro! What you want? I'm getting ready for school." I tie my hair into a small ponytail to keep my hair out of my face but it doesn't do much. "Quit the bullshit. I know what's going on. You can't hide it from me," What the fuck? "Wow, what a way to say good morning. If you want to say it better, here's the chance". "Look, I have to get to school too. Just tell me, did something happen?" How did he come to that conclusion? Whatever... I'm not comfortable telling him now. "I'll tell you later... all you have to know is that it's school drama. You know, pointless shit. I'll be fine, I made some friends who understand me. You'll like them," Ryuji's face appeared in my mind as Ann's followed after as Morgana jumped on the shelf. I pet him as I hear Akiro sigh, "I'll take your word for it but tell me if you're feeling down, I'll be there at lightning speed. Anyway I've got to go, talk later?" he maybe a jerk at times but I know he cares. My lips form a small smile, "Yeah, I might call up in a few days after this drama sorts itself out. Bye..." Hanging up, I walk downstairs after placing Morgana in my bag.

~Timeskip~

Ugh, why do we have to got to gym class? Especially since Dog Shit is presiding over it. Sigh, at least I can just hang with Ann. "Okay 2-D, we are gonna do a few warm ups and start playing badminton. Got that?" The class responded with a 'yes sir!', excluding Ann, Mishima, and myself. For warm ups, girls and boys were separated as we were just doing basic exercises like jumping-jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. Dog Shit was overlooking both groups but was mainly circling the girls, fucking perv. "Nice form, Fuyumiya~San! Keep up the good work Watanabe~San..." He makes his way to me as I was doing push-ups, "Hold on a moment, Kurusu~San. You're form seems to be uncomfortable for you. Here, let me help." he gently pushes my knees inwards and my hips lower. Thanks, asshole. I was comfortable before, I never needed that. "When you push up and down, keep your back align with your shoulders." If that wasn't uncomfortable enough, he grips onto my ass while a small gasp escapes my mouth. Fuck you, you dumb pedophile, bitchass, motherfucker. "Mnngh..." I look up and see that Dog Shit was 'helping' Ann with her sit-ups. His 'help' included him him pushing her back up while also subtly fondling with her chest. Okay, I need to try and get him off our backs or he'll keep doing that.

My eyes scanned the room, seeing a way the two of us can sneak out. They landed on a girl with short brown hair and light brown eyes doing jumping-jacks. That's Miyuki Nakamura, our class president. Maybe I can have her distract Dog Shit... then again, I have a feeling that Dog Shit just sexualizes all the girls in the school and if he hasn't gotten to her yet, I wouldn't like to be the one who helps him. "Alright, now that everyone's warmed up, grab a racket each and go in groups of 2-3 with one of the things you hit," It's called a shuttlecock, dumbass. Hell, you could've at least called it a bird. Ugh, whatever. "I'll get you one, Ann. Let's at least play the part of 'good girls'," I tell her as she nods. The items necessary weren't hard to find, it's just that there was too many people in one place. Grah! This is going nowhere! "Kurusu~San... here you go," Huh? I turn to see Mishima handing me two rackets and a shuttlecock. "Since you and Takamaki~San are friends, I had a feeling that you were going to pick one for her..." "Thanks Mishima~Kun!" Flashing him a smile, I go to Ann as we start playing.

Mishima's POV

I know I can't change the way she thinks of me... but I can at least show to her I'm a good person. That's the best I can do for now, right? She's become Kamoshida's target along with Takamaki, I need to help them before it gets out of hand. But, what can I do? I'm just a zero... "Mishima, come here." Oh no, that voice... I'm gonna get a new bruise, aren't I?

~Timeskip~

Akano's POV

Finally the bell rang. Hmm, should we go in the Palace? Mnngh... I don't feel like it. I'm still a little stiff from yesterday. Huh? Oh, it's Ryuji.

**R- Hey, we going in the Palace?**

**A- Nah, I'm still stiff and I'm thinking**  
**about us going every two days so we**  
**can rest up.**

**R- OK. Say, since we're not going into**  
**the Palace, want to go and train**  
**with me? I want to be able to run**  
**alright over there.**

**A- Hmm...I don't have any plans so**  
**sure. Let me go and get changed**  
**and I'll meet you in the courtyard, k?**

**R- Sure thing. Cya!**

Ryuji's POV

So I have to meet Aka~Tan at the courtyard? Okay then, I just need to get changed first. Hmm? Mishima? He looks more depressed than last time. Wait, is that a black eye he's got? "Hey, Mishima. You okay there?" I ask him as he jumps a bit. "Gah! Oh, it's you Sakamoto. Yeah, I'm fine... it's just that Mr. Kamoshida told me to keep my distance from Kurusu~San..." What the? He can't do that! "Is that why you got that black eye? That bastard..." My fist clenched tight with my teeth gritting, "I don't know how to make you feel better... maybe, hang in there? I know that makes me sound like a douche, but I understand to some extent of Kamoshida's torment..." a small smile formed on the blue-haired boys face. "You may not be good with words... but I get what you're saying. Thanks for that," And with that, he leaves. I feel bad for that kid, man. And what's with Kamoshida? Telling him to stay away from Aka~Tan, who does he think he is? Oh shit! I forgot, I need to get changed and meet up with her at the courtyard.

~Timeskip~

Akano's POV

Hm, looks like I got here first. I open my bag and pull out a box of pocky I bought at the convenience store in the backstreets this morning and began snacking on it. The sweet chocolate and the crunch of the biscuit stick makes me smile as I eat. This is actually my first time eating pocky, they don't sell these in my town. I only see Akiro eating these but that's because he goes to his dad's place every two weeks. Oh yeah, I didn't tell you guys yet. Akiro's parents are divorced. He spends two weeks with his mom and one week with his dad. Looks unfair but to him and his parents, it's not. I don't exactly know the details, because I never pushed him to tell me, so maybe I'll find out later. "Aka~Tan? You okay there?" My mind returns to reality with Ryuji's face being in front of me. "Oh, sup Ryuji! Want one?" I hand him the box as he proceeds to take FIVE sticks. "Hey! I only said ONE!" The two of us couldn't stop laughing, I remember Akiro and I would do this. Not with pocky since he'd never give me one but it was with shrimp chips.

"You ready to train, Aka~Tan?" And with that, I place the box of pocky in my bag as the two of us ran around the school three times. There were times where I had to walk and catch my breath but Ryuji was always kind enough to walk beside me. Stamina's my weakness, I'm just glad I didn't fall or faint. At the end, my legs were numb and wobbly. I can't remember the last time I ran that much in one go, but from what my legs are telling me, it's been a long time. "Woah...! I'm drenched... and my legs are all tight. You okay, Aka-" "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ryuji was cut off by another voice cutting in. Three boys in gym clothes came walking towards us as Ryuji looks taken aback. "Nakaoka... Takeshi..." He knows them? "... running, huh? I saw you from the window. And you've got a girl too, Kurusu~San huh? I knew you were into bad chicks but not that much." What? "Ryuji... who are these guys?" I gripped onto his hand but he continues to look at the ground. "Seems like you don't want to talk about or even with your girl, all goods dude. We didn't come here to talk about that. We came to talk about you running, trying to crawl back to the track team?" Another boy spoke which made Ryuji growl, "H-Hell no..."

Track team? Were these douchebags 'part of the track team? "Sure... speaking of which, this was your secret training spot, wasn't it?" Doesn't sound so secret now, doesn't it? "Well, it's our spot now. You know, us. The former track team." Huh? You can't just claim a spot! You're not even a club anymore, "We don't even have a locker room anymore, thanks to someone I know." Wow, real classy guys. "Hey! Shut the fuck up! I swear, I heard everything and it's incredibly toxic and I don't like it. So, take your bitch tits out of here before I kick your sorry little asses!" I didn't mean to sound like that, guess I have more pent up rage than I thought. Ryuji looks shocked as the others were dazed but then laughed. "As if a slutty pipsqueak could do anything to us!" Did he just say what I think he said?! _'A slutty pipsqueak'_?! Oh you're goin- "To get to her, you need to get through me first." The blond student stepped in between the boys and me as they erupted into laughter. "You've really fallen for her, huh? Kurusu~San, you should stay away from him. He'll beat the shit out of you if you piss him off. I heard his dad was the same, like father like son, aye?" Are you kidding me? Don't say that in front of him! I could tell Ryuji was getting aggravated, I need to calm him down. "Ryuji, I'm here. Calm down." Wrapping my arms around his chest from behind, my presence was able to calm him down.

Man, I can't believe I called you my teammate. C'mon dudes, let's get out of here. I've said what I've got to say. And you," The boy with tanned skin points his index finger to me, "Next time Ryuji won't be here to protect you." My god I hate this guy. With a 180 turn, the tanned student leads the others away. "Grr, I almost lost it once they were teasing you and bringing up my dad. But, I'm glad you were here. You made me feel calm Aka~Tan!" His goofy smile returned which made me smile. But now I'm curious, "Ryuji, what were they talking about? _'like father like son' _What were they talking about?" I know I shouldn't ask this but my curiosity is my weakness. Second to my stamina. "... let's get out of here, 'kay?" He dodged the question... must not want to talk about it. "Okay, see you tomorrow Ryuji." Gifting him a sad smile, we parted ways. Why am I still fixated on this? What was his father doing? Wait, why am I worrying about stuff that has nothing to do with me? Ugh, I can't think.

Returning to Leblanc, Sojiro is behind the counter like always. To my surprise though, someone I recognize is sitting in front of Sojiro. It wasn't Akari, it was... "Kenny...?" Calling out, the man turned to face me. "Akano! So nice to see you!" That accent still annoys the fuck out of me. Kenny was born overseas but moved here around the time I was born. Forgot where he lived but that accent is annoying. "What are you here for, Kenny?" my tone was harsh while all he does is sigh, "I'm here to collect your journal. I'll bring it back in a week after I finished evaluating it," Oh great, a way of having my parents know about my life. "Fuck that, I'm tired and I need my rest." Not turning back, I walked upstairs to get ready for bed. Changing out of my gym wear into my nightie, removing my glasses, then laying in my bed. Akari was fast asleep so I tried to do this as quietly as I could. Morgana this time slept on top of Akari so I had nothing to cuddle. Fuck you Morgana.

4/20

The final bell rang, guess it's as good time to-

"Kurusu~San? Can you help me out?" God dammit. "Yes, Ms. Kawakami?" Politely as I could, I straightened my posture to keep up the 'goody two-shoes' act of mine. "Thank you! I just need you to take these papers to the student council room, that's all! I would do it myself but I got papers to grade and Nakamura~San isn't here." Reluctantly, I accepted the task. The moment I had the papers in my hand and I was out the door, thoughts from yesterday flooded my mind. Ryuji's past... what happened? Ugh! I can't ask him, but this curiosity is killing me! Wait! I just remembered something. I don't know where the student council room is. Shit, Ann isn't here since shes gone to see Shiho, I don't think I can talk to Ryuji without bringing up his dad, and I don't think I can face Mishima. Even though it wasn't his fault my records were released, it's just... something. I can't put my finger on it though. Sigh, maybe I should ask- GAH!

I hit something. I landed on my ass and papers got scattered, ah fuck. "Ugh..." Looking up, an unfamiliar girl wearing a grey headband clenches her head. "Holy crap! I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you up." Extending my arm, she looks up and reluctantly takes it. "T-Thanks Kurusu... let me help you collect these papers..." Fear was in her voice which makes me a little upset. The two of us collect the papers in silence until my eyes landed on a paper that wasn't a school related thing. Picking it up, I begin to read it.

_Dear Sadayo Kawakami,_

_Your application for your part-time job as a maid has been approved. We will mail your uniform to you the day after this letter was sent and you can ring us to know when you're ready to start your first shift. Also, your maid name was approved as well. Hope you enjoy your time with us, Maid Becky!_

_Sincerely,_  
_The Twilight Maid CEO, Hiroshi Tsuyomi._

What the fuck? Ms. Kawakami's a maid? Maybe that's why she's tired 24/7. Didn't expect that though, I need to confront her about this. Folding the paper, I cautiously placed the letter in my pocket. "H-Here you go K-Kurusu~San!" The young girl gave me the stack of papers in her hand with a bow, "Thanks!" I take the papers out of her hands as the girl runs off. A flash of sadness consumes me. Trying to regain my composure, I go back on my way to finding the student council room and eventually, I found it.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in!"

With that, I opened the door. The room was what I expected it to be, a bunch of bookcases, filing cabinets, lockers, and a table in the middle surrounded by chairs. And in one of the chairs, was a brunette with a braided headband writing papers. "Kurusu~San? What do you need?" Um, who is this? Judging by her demeanor, she seems like the student council president. "... Ms. Kawakami told me to take these papers here. She would've asked Nakamura~Chan but she isn't here," I told her as she nods, "Okay, just put them on the table and I'll file it." Doing as I was told, I leave the room. Now that that's out of the way, time to confront Kawakami. In no time what so ever, I was in the class. Thank god, she's still here. "Oh Kurusu~San, why are you still here?" She could've at least sounded better... "I just want to ask you something. I found _this_ in the stack of paperwork you told me to put in the student council room!" Once I said this, I showed her the letter. The color drained from her face the moment she saw it. "Just say it, you're moonlighting as a maid, aren't you?" After a while, she nodded as her face flushed red. I could use this to my advantage.

"Please don't tell anyone! I'll do anything!" Now she shows her vulnerable side, "Don't worry, I don't plan on exploiting this. I just need information, that's all. I don't want to talk now, I'll do it later on. _Becky_." saying her maid name made her shiver. Looking at the letter, the company name, _Twilight Maid _was burned into my memory. And with that, I left. "What are you gonna do to Ms. Kawakami? Do you swing that way?" Morgana jumped out of my bag, giving me a fright, "I'm not doing anything! And NO! I don't swing that way. It's just something Ryuji's 'old pals' were talking about yesterday, it got me curious." The cat sighed and retreated back into my bag. I take this chance to text the others about not going to the Palace as I go back to LeBlanc. We can do the Palace tomorrow for sure. This time, we're gonna be making it to the treasure.

**Hey guys! Holy crap, over 3,000 words! I think this is my longest chapter yet! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It took a lot of dedication to keep on writing this for long and I put in so much effort. I made it long to compensate with the mini hiatus I had with my fanfics and now I'm sleep deprived. It's been hard trying to avoid Persona 5 Royal spoilers, especially since I've been recommended them on YouTube with spoilers in the titles, but I'm glad that I can't understand Japanese or kanji so I guess I'm okay. Also, I'll be busy for a few weeks so there won't be any updates on any of my fanfics so I hope you're all okay with that. That's all I've gotta say so, peace out!**


	20. Chapter 17 - Ryuji's Past Part 2

**Hey guys! Quick note, I'll only be updating Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition for a while because my mental state is all over the place and I'm getting better, no worries fam. For now until maybe after Christmas will all be this. I will be mentioning on my other fanfics on , as I'm working on one chapter each for until after Christmas. I hope you guys are okay with this slight change (even if you guys didn't, I would still do it) and enjoy the chapter!**

Akano's POV

Opening the door, Akari welcomes me with a big smile and hug. Cute. "She's been doing that all day. Good thing she's cute or else customers might yell at the poor girl," Sojiro walked around to us and rubbed my sister's head, much to her annoyance. "Akari! Next time don't be a pain!" I jokingly said as she slaps my stomach. It wasn't hard but it was was funny. "Say, Akano. I want to have a word with you alone, is that okay Akari~Chan?" Akari nods and runs upstairs while Sojiro gestures me over to sit at a booth. "Hey, how's school? Minus the drama. You're not causing trouble, are you?" Resting his chin on his hand, Sojiro awaits my answer. "I have, Sojiro. You don't need to worry, I know my place and will continue being on good behavior." It seems his answer satisfied him because he leaned back into the chair. "Good. I've gotta report to Kenny twice a month so it's good to hear that. That being said, it's already a pain in the ass as is so please don't make me have to write even more crap. Got that? This society is kept in check by laws and authority figures." I know I'm a pain in the ass but there could be better laws and authority figures for Japan, we just haven't found them yet. "You could go and get yourself killed if you want, just don't go dragging other people into your mess. Last thing we need is more idiots like you roaming around," what he said and in that tone too, he's not being mean. He's being real with me. Maybe he's not as bad as I thought...

Just then, his phone began to rang. My thoughts immediately went to, 'It's a booty call' as he answers it. Can you blame me for thinking that? Outside of the store he dresses as a cliche pimp. "Hm? What's wrong? Yeah, I'm heading out now. Sorry about that... I know. The usual, right? Ok. I'll see you later." The middle aged man hangs up and places the phone in his pocket. Okay, that IS a booty call. What else could it be? He doesn't seem like the type to be close to his family... "As you can see, I'm pretty damn busy both at work and my private life," yeah, 'busy' and 'my private life'. Then again, it's not my business unless I meet his bitch so I'll stay out of it. "If you could lend a hand, it'd really be a great help..." this old man is taking care of me, making me curry for breakfast and actually acts more of a father than my real dad. He deserves to have less stress on his hands. "Of course, Sojiro. You took me in without even knowing me or even my parents when I needed someone to take care of me. And hearing that you also took care of Akari when I was at school is reassuring enough," I bow as I hear him chuckle, "Didn't expect you to be so well-mannered. Anyway, thanks for seeing it my way. Now, you won't be doing this without a reward. I'll teach you how to make the best cup of coffee, sound good?" Coffee does sound good now. I nod my head, granting him a smile on his face.

I fee like the distance between me and Sojiro seems to be closing slightly...

_Back to the interrogation room..._

"You may call yourself a phantom thief, but you're still a minor. Someone had to support you. Furthermore, they did so knowing you were part of that group... isn't that owner of the cafe an accomplice of yours!?"

_Back to reality_

_I am thou, thou art I..._  
_Thou hast acquired a new vow_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_  
_that breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Hierophant Persona,_  
_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_  
_shall lead to freedom and new power..._

And with that, the middle aged man left. There was still time before midnight as I took this time to ring up 'Becky's' work on that public phone. Like hell people are gonna find out I rang a maid service.

"Hello~! Twilight Maid Services, how may I serve you today?" It was obvious it was a flamboyant man but I didn't care as I met so much before. "Hi, I was thinking if I could hire a maid." Trying to sound more mature as I could, I prayed to anything that is holy that Akari's asleep. "Okay Master~! Do you wish for a specific type of maid or have it random?" I cringed the moment 'Master' came out of this guy's mouth. It's either he's forced to do this or he actually enjoyed it. "Um... is there a maid called Becky?" I can hear clicking of a keyboard for a few seconds and the man's voice call out to 'Becky'. "Greetings Master~!" The voice has changed. It was a little high pitched but it was Kawakami for real. "I need you to clean my room. I live in the attic of Cafe Leblanc," The moment I said that, her tone changed. "Kurusu~San, are you serious?" It is her, "I'm serious. I just need to talk and this is the only way, and don't call me 'Master' again." a few seconds passed until she told me she'll be here in ten minutes. Ending the call, I go upstairs to see Akari on her futon. Overlooking her, I can see she fell asleep. Good, now she won't ask questions about Kawakami being here in a maid outfit.

Ten minutes passed as I see a maid knocking on the door. I open it to see none other than Kawakami in a revealing maid outfit with a pink pin near her breast and her hair in two pigtails. "Why do you choose to wear that? It just looks weird... anyway just sit down there," She follows my instruction as she sits. "So what do you need that you can't just ask at school?" "It's about Ryuji, what happened last year with the track team disbanding?" The young maid looks taken aback by this, "Why don't you ask him yourself?" I look at her with this expression of, _'If I would, I wouldn't have rang up your service.' _With a sigh, she adjusts her seating position and looks me dead in the eyes. "Back then, the old coach got fired for having a 'fap box' full of pictures of a student. Because of this, the track and volleyball teams were in the care of Kamoshida. Both teams would be bruised up, I never asked questions though. I have my own baggage..." so Ryuji, Mishima and Shiho were abused along with other students but no one did anything about it!? "Suddenly, Sakamoto~Kun went violent for some unknown reason on Kamoshida. He acted in self-defense and made Sakamoto~Kun walk with crutches for the rest of the year. His mother was called to the office but I was working as a maid during that time. Your best bet should be asking either Principal Kobayakawa or Kamoshida, but I don't recommend it. Kobayakawa already doesn't like you and there's been rumors surrounding Kamoshida..." even she's realized it. Wait, something's off of what she said...

"His mom? What about his dad?" she grew quiet. "His dad left... from what I can say is this. I have been keeping an eye on you and you've been around him. He doesn't seem violent, he seems calm and never lets his rage out on you. His mom called up the school and since his homeroom teacher and I are good friends, we talk about it. She asked if he had detention because he wasn't home yet. A few hours later, she rang back and told the school not to worry, that he was just helping you back home. We were both shocked but she wasn't, saying it's in his nature. That he cares a lot for others and will defend them to the end." Woah... "Are you saying that, Kamoshida said something that set him off?" She nods. "Thanks Kawakami, I'll keep your secret only if you keep feeding me info on anyone. That okay for you?" Kawakami nods as she leaves the Cafe. "I'll say you canceled so you don't have to pay, Kurusu~San. Anyway, good night."

4/21

School was as boring as usual as Kawakami tried to stay awake, must've got long shifts last night after me. I got up to leave the toilet and make a stop at my class to pick up Morgana as I took out my phone and texted the others about the operation.

_A= We're heading into the Palace_

_An= Okay! I'll meet you guys and the front gate at around 4, visiting Shiho_

_R= Okay. Hey, Aka~Tan? Want to go get food after school then meet up with Ann?_

Maybe this is my chance...

_A= Sure! Seeya after school! Meet ya at your class._

**(And before you ask, yes. Akano took her phone into the toilet. Call it unhygienic but you must've done it at least once, reader. No use denying it.)**

"Well, well, well. Hi Kurusu~!" That voice... moving my gaze from my phone up, Dog Shit is there. "Hi sir... I gotta go, bye..." I try to get away but his hand gripped onto my wrist, "Let me go..." I muttered but he didn't care. He brought me closer to him while his other hand began fondling my ass. With all my strength, I try not to moan. I won't make him satisfied. "C'mon, Kurusu... don't torture yourself. I know that you love this..." He moved his hand on my wrist to my thigh and traveled up. I just froze as his hand grazed my panties. "You're wet? Wow, you are horny for this..." Fuck off. After ten more seconds, he walked away with a smirk. And here I thought the first time was traumatizing. "Aka~Tan? Why are you standing there?" As if it was magic, Ryuji just popped right in front of me with my bag in his hand. "R-Ryuji..." I shake off my expression and replace it with my cheerful smile, "It's nothing, Ryuji! C'mon, lets go get some food! Where we heading?" rushing to his side, I clung to his arm like the other day as we began talking about random stuff and Akari was mentioned. "Small Lady Akari is so sweet! You guys will adore her!" The cat popped his head from my bag as we continued to walk.

_Orenobeko, Beef Bowl Shop_

The restaurant wasn't packed, which I liked, and because of that, the workers were in the back room while the two of us had the store to ourselves. He ordered himself a large barbecue bowl, me a medium one and a medium natto bowl for me to give to Akari. "Itadakimasu!" We digged in. I even passed food over to Morgana a few times. "Say, what happened before I met up with you, Aka~Tan?" Oh shit, I knew it would be asked. "Don't react, okay?" I try to say as I look straight into his eyes. He knew I was serious so he nods. Turning my attention to the dish in front of me, "It was Kamoshida. He came to me when I left the toilets and... did something..." "WHAT WAS THIS 'SOMETHING'?!" His voice was loud enough to pierce someone's ears from Antarctica. "Oh God, keep your voice down, megaphone..." I took a bite out of my food, "Look, what happened? I'm worried about you, Akano." It's been a while since he last called me Akano, I know he's serious. I move my arms so my hands could intertwine with each other over my lap, "He... touched me..." Ryuji looked where my hands were and got furious. "That bastard... first Ann, then Suzui and now you!? He thinks he can get away with it too, not for long." The blonde student reached for my hands and grasped them tightly. Gasping, never thinking he would do this, I tilt my head to the side. "Akano, you don't know how pissed I am that I wasn't there to stop him for the second time. From now on I WILL be there, don't forget that." Ryuji...

Looking at our hands, he freaks out and lets go of them with a red face while apologizing. Of course, I giggled at his awkwardness and rest my head on his shoulder since our chairs were close enough. "Thanks Ryuji. You really do remind me of an old friend I hope you get to meet. Now that we're done with me, I want to ask about you." He stares at my face which had a stern look on. "What is it?" "Kawakami told me what happened with you and Dog Shit last year. Just curious what it was about, you don't have to tell me though, if you don't want to." A few seconds past before I thought he wouldn't delve deep into it and lifted my head from his shoulder and started eating again. His mouth began to open, "Before Kamoshida came along, the track team was the biggest thing that the school had going for them. But it all changed when our coach got fired and he got replaced as a sub. That bastard... from the very beginning it was obvious he wanted us gone! He'd give us impossible task to do, then add more that stressed all of us out. Everyday was just a repeat of the previous one." Ryuji... so he was on the receiving end on what the volleyball team was going through. I expected it but wasn't confirmed til now. HIs hand began to intertwine with mine and I allowed it."He was going after me especially... he knew I would fight back if I was hit and used it to his advantage. If my time would drop, even by one nanosecond, he would go on a tangent. Telling me I should work harder if I want to go to Nationals. Then started talking about my parents..." His parents? "I don't mean to peer into your family life, but what type of lifestyle were you raised in?" I guess my worry evident since he sighed, "I'm still with my mom. While my dad was a drunk and sometimes would beat me... or her... somehow he found out and told the whole god damn team... then you know the rest. He called it an _'act of violence'_ then shut the team down. Since then, the track team looked at me differently. As a _traitor. _They're not wrong, I made them lose their chances at Nationals..."

What am I supposed to say in this situation...? I just got up from my seat and go behind him. He looked shocked until my arms were wrapped around his torso. "If you ever need someone Ryuji, I'm right here. So is Ann and Morgana. So don't think you're alone in this, okay?" my voice was a little muffled but he heard it because of his response, "Only if you do the same." Now that made us chuckle.

Rank 3= Follow Up~ Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Joker does not down the enemy.

"Hey! Enough of the love stuff and finish eating! It's almost 4!" The cat popped out of the bag as the two of us returned to eating. Afterwards, we made our way back to the school as Ann texted me that she's on her way and will be at the place in 15 minutes. It will take us 10 so we had to wait a while. Sitting on the ground in front of the school, I was petting Morgana on my lap as Ryuji was scrolling on his phone. _"From now on I WILL be there, don't forget that." _His words echoed in my mind. Unconsciously, I turned my face to Ryuji which went unnoticed by him. My mind went blank until I saw that I was near Ryuji's face, with my lips on his cheek. As quick as I could, I moved my face away as it was beet red. Why did I do that? Why. Did. I. Just. Do. That!? "Hey guys!" Ann's voice came and I immediately ran up to her and activated the app.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH! Things are escalating between Akano and Ryuji! Will they be the main couple or will others dethrone Ryuji? We shall see! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! And for funsies, I made a character profile of Akano!**

_Name: Akano Kurusu_

_Also Known As: Aka~Tan(By Ryuji)  
__Lady Akano (By Morgana)  
Joker (Codename)  
Onee~Chan (By Akari)  
My Lady (By Yusuke)  
My Princess (By Akechi)  
Aka (By Makoto)  
Kano (By Akiro)  
Darling (By Mother)  
Inmate (Caroline & Justine)  
Prisoner  
Red Head  
__My little guinea pig (By Tae Takemi)  
__Trickster  
__Leader  
__Reina Amamiya (Prototype name before Akano Kurusu was selected)_

_Japanese Name: _くるすあかの  
來栖赤野 (IDK if these are correct, please correct me!)

_Romaji: __Shujinkō  
__ Jōkā  
__ Shujin  
__ Rīdā  
__ Torikkusutā  
Kurusu Akano  
Amamiya Reina __(Prototype name before Akano Kurusu was selected)_

_Affiliation: Phantom Thieves of Hearts_

_Date of Birth: 6/11/1999 (I know it's not stated, but I chose this date for a reason)_

_Age: 16-17_

_Height: 155cm (5'1")_

_Blood Type: O (Not stated so I guessed)_

_Melee Weapon: Knives_

_Ranged Weapon: Pistols_

_Arcana: The Fool_

_Persona: Jeanne, Jeanne (Upgrade), Satanael, Comtesse de la Motte (If she would get the same treatment as Akira in P5R, not telling who Comtesse de la Motte is though.)_


	21. Chapter 18 - King, Queen, and Slave Pt1

**Hey guys! I'm doing much better since the last time I started writing the last chapter (Been a week or so, not the day of update) and I hope that you guys are doing well too! I'm going back to my normal life and getting ready for Christmas and New Years. I know that Thanksgiving past and even though I don't celebrate it, I'll try to do what you do on Thanksgiving. I've read that Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to things you're thankful about. It's going to be at the end of the chapter so I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and your holidays!**

Ann's POV

Okay... now that's weird. What happened between those two? I'll figure it out today. I activated the app as the world began to warp into the world of Kamoshida's heart. My outfit went from loose to form fitting and I guess Akano had the same feeling because of her jittering a bit. "Okay! Let's start the operation!" Mona called out as he and Joker made their ways into the castle with Skull still standing. "Hey, Skull? Everything okay? What happened with you and Joker?" I approach him as he realizes we're in the other world, "Huh? We're here already? Oh! Joker and Mona are gone, we need to catch up to them Panther!" Okay, something is up. 1) He completely ignored me and, 2) That was too damn fast. Sighing, I followed him into the castle. Joker and Mona were waiting for us in the room with the vent and the moment Skull and I appeared, Mona began talking about something related to the Palace, lecturing us on how we should stay on guard and stuff. However, I wasn't listening. My eyes were locked on the other two in the room. They looked so awkward which made the atmosphere heavy, what happened? Did they have a disagreement? If so, they need to get that stuff out so we can focus on the mission at hand. "Do we all understand?" The cat figure finished with Joker responding followed by Skull and I even though I knew none of us were listening.

Exiting, we managed to make it to the furthest safe room we were in without running into any shadows and took a small break. Maybe I can use this time to ask about it. Joker sat in the corner while hugging her leg. I took notice that there is a bandage there, I should start with that so I can try and make it natural. "Hey, Joker? What's up? Your leg looks bad... what happened?" I sat down next to her as she looks at me, "Oh, Panther... it's nothing, really. You doing good? How was Shiho?" She's avoiding the subject, maybe this will lead to me asking what happened. "She's still stable, no knowing when she'll wake up but also no problems so far." She sighs in relief, "But now about you. What happened before I met up with you and Skull?" Her face turned red and turned away from me. "It's nothing! Guys I think it's time to resume the infiltration!" Joker stood up and ran out the door followed by Mona and Skull then me. I'll get it out of her, I know it.

Akano's POV

Ugh! I hate hiding things! But I'm too embarrassed to talk about it. Wait, I just ran out of the safe room without any knowledge on where I ran. Shit... all these fucking halls look th same! And Mona's got the map, I'm so fucked.

_**"INTRUDER! HALT!"**_

Crap... a shadow. Please say I can fight it! Please? The shadow bursts into two floating green seahorses with red eyes. Wait, fuck! Mona's not here to provide support, neither can I perform an all out attack. Okay... gotta go all out! "Persona!" Silky appeared behind me, "Dormina!" casting the sleep spell, one of them fell asleep. Alright, I just have to attack the other one with elements and see which one is its weakness. Eas- My thoughts were cut off by the shadow summoning another one. Grr... annoying. "Dormina!" Casting another sleep spell, it worked yet again. Thank god for this spell being a high chance. The standing shadow sent a Garu at me but it didn't do much. Okay, let's finish this. "Persona! Bufu!" The ice spell just grazed it, nothing. Okay, Bufu's off the table. Another wind spell from it but I dodge it swiftly. If it's resistant to ice, wind is also a no go since it uses it... can't summon Jack o' Lantern since it's weak to wind so... "I call... persona change!" My mask flashed blue for a second, "Pixie! Zio!" Pixie summoned a lightning bolt as it hit the seahorse. I knocked it down, yes! Keeping this streak, I continued to hit the others with Zio over and over again until they were gone. Phew! That was exhausting. "JOKER!" that voice... Panther! "I'm over here, guys!" Calling out, I see them walking by the turn. Skull spots me and decides to rush up to me and hug me. Of course, after what happened, my face was red but I tried to hug back.

"Joker... that was stupid. You shouldn't have ran like that." Mona lectured me as I sigh, "I know, I know... I promise I won't do that again..." Skull let me go while Panther mouths, 'Sorry' to me. "Let's go guys!" The cat called as it lead the way. "Anyway, was I going the right way?" I asked as Panther gave me a reassuring nod, "Yeah, that's why we were worried. This is unknown territory and if you did back track, we wouldn't be as worried." you're right, Panther. "Hey! Keep your voices down. Enemy at 12 o'clock!" Mona scolded us as I got ready to get the jump on this bastard. Hiding behind a wall, I patiently waited for the enemy to get close. The moment has come! "Show me your true form!" Ripping the mask, the shadow dispersed and reappeared as two women in a revealing black one-piece and big black wings on their backs. "Guys! Let's try and get some cash from it!" Calling out, the three of them nod. "Persona! Bufu!" I call out as Silky's ice magic shows neutral damage on one of them. "Let's do it! Dance Carmen!" Fire hits the same one but it doesn't even flinch! "Fire's ineffective, Panther don't waste your SP!" Morgana tells her as she nods. Don't waste SP, huh? "Mona! Use your sword! With a nod, he slices it doing normal damage. "Skull! Shoot it down!" He does as I say as it knocks it down. "Nice! Good call, Joker!" Skull does the same to the other one

_"Please save me! I won't tell King Kamoshida!"_

"Give me some money!"

_"Is that what will get me to live? Really?"_

"Do you have money or not?" Skull got impatient quick.

_"My, aren't you a cutie. But it seems you already have two fine ladies with you and you don't seem like a pimp type as I can see the red head more of a leader than you~"_

"Huh?" a small blush appears on his cheeks.

"Skull! Stay focused. As for you, cough up the cash!"

_"My, you are possessive. I see... anyway, here. I threw in a little extra for the cutie there~!"_

The demon hands over 1,800 yen as she leaves with her look alike.

"I got a new move! It's called Tarukaja, I can raise our attack but only one at a time." The vulgar Phantom Thief said, receiving thumbs up from his teammates and a congratulating smile from me. "Nice work, guys! Let's keep this momentum going." I told them as we continued. A door with bars blocking it along with a goat design on the side like where the map was. Mona pulled on it but nothing happens, "Hey, there's a circle indent here!" Panther observed. The most logical idea is to find what goes in that indent so we decided to go look for it. The four of us entered a room with lots of books. "There's nothing here, let's continue." Mona said as my gaze was fixated on a certain book in particular. _"The Slave Book" _the title read. "What's up Joker?If you think that book is useful, we should take it with us." Nodding, I take the book. Entering two more rooms, I do the same as in each room. In my hands are three books, one named _"The King Book", _the other called _"The Queen Book", _and the first one as well. "Hey, check this out!" Skull called as it was a larger library, "Go look around, let's see if these books have anything to do with this room."

On side had names of the boys in our school. _"Ryuji, The Vulgar Ape" _asshole... wait, _"Mishima, The Pathetic Zero" _This bitch... there's more male names. Hold on! Taking the _"Slave Book" _, I place it in the shelf and go to another wall with books. _"Ann, The Charming Doll" _and _"Shiho, The Sexy Puppet" _sent Panther to be visibly disgusted. Don't blame her, I am too. Slipping _"The Queen Book"_ in, we move on to another shelf. All the titles had Kamoshida in it so it was only logical to place _"The King Book" _in it. The last bookshelf in the room opened up to a scene none of us wish to see. It's a cross like the one that held Panther and on the walls are pictures of Shiho. One of the pictures were of her in her bra and underwear, her hands were bound together and duct tape on her mouth as her eyes were watering like a waterfall. Panther's pupils go small as she covers her mouth with her right hand, "Shiho..." was all she could mumble with tears falling from her face. Grasping onto her left hand, I give her a reassuring nod. "We're gonna make him pay, Panther. You can count on it!" She hugs me and cries into my shoulder. Skull walked over and patted her back as Mona hugged her leg. "Thanks guys... I'll be fine..." She sniffles, "I know it must be hard, but we need to look around." Mona stated as we all nod.

On a table is a small medal and a map. I didn't want to stay in here long than we need to so I told them we're done. On our way to the door, we ran into two shadows in a row. Panther just continues to look down so I grip onto her hand. "Thanks Joker... I'll try to get my thoughts together so I can perform better." her smile was sad, "Hey! After all of this is over, wanna have a girls day? Hm?" she giggles and nod with a much more radiant smile. I place the small medal in the hole as the door opens. I take this chance to update the map as it shows where the treasure is. Sadly, it's further off. Begrudgingly, I lead the way in the hallway. More hallways and safe rooms later, the four of us entered a huge room with a statue of Dog Shit. Oh god, he looks more stupid in stone. Huh? This room is shifting from it to the gym. "Huh? Is this... the gym...?" my thoughts exactly, Panther. "I get it... the gym's some kinda holy place for him. He's a god there," Oh, right... "I can't believe he can think that way... especially after what he did to Shiho..." the femme fatale's hands clench up as she holds back her tears, "God, that bastard makes me so freakin' sick! Just you wait, Kamoshida!"

_"I see... so you are the ones who tampered with the library..."_

Huh? "Guys, stick together. Back to back." I command as we do it.

_" It seems my time here has paid off..."_

**CLIFFHANGER! Sorry about this, I was working on this chapter for a few days and writer's block sucks. Persona 3 Portable - The Journey will be coming up soon, most likely before Christmas. I'm also thinking about starting a new fanfic but it's up to you guys. The fanfic is Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc related and the first few chapters are already written. Anyway, this won't be updated until New Years as my fam will be coming over and I'm excited. I'm also thinking about doing a small Q&A, if you guys give me questions, or I might do something else. I was thinking about doing side stories with my fanfics. They may or may not be canon but it will include hijinx and mischief, fluff and memes. Lots of memes. A lot of things coming to 2020 and I'm happy! **


	22. Chapter 19 - Wholesome Feels

**(Full chapter name: Chapter 19 - Wholesome Feels In Many Places)**

**Hey guys! From now on, these chapters won't be pre-written as this is the last chapter that was pre-written. Now, this was during my writer's block so if it seems rushed, writer's block sucks. Either way, I hope you like this chapter!**

_Last time on Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition..._

The four of us entered a huge room with a statue of Dog Shit. Oh god, he looks more stupid in stone. Huh? This room is shifting from it to the gym. "Huh? Is this... the gym...?" my thoughts exactly, Panther. "I get it... the gym's some kinda holy place for him. He's a god there," Oh, right... "I can't believe he can think that way... especially after what he did to Shiho..." the femme fatale's hands clench up as she holds back her tears, "God, that bastard makes me so freakin' sick! Just you wait, Kamoshida!"

_"I see... so you are the ones who tampered with the library..."_

Huh? "Guys, stick together. Back to back." I command as we do it.

_" It seems my time here has paid off..."_

_Now, let's continue where we left off!_

A knight with wings and a sword appears before us as we all begin the battle. "Guys! Check for weaknesses!" Summoning Silky, I cast 'Bufu' on it as it does neutral damage. "Let's go, Captain!" a lightning strike comes from Captain Kidd, "Dance, Carmen!" at the same time, Carmen blasted fire at the target. Yet again, both do neutral damage. Zorro swings his sword in his 'Z' motion with a wind attack, doing approximately the same damage as the others. The flying knight looks as it's charging for an attack, "Everyone, defend!" We do so as it casts 'Cleave' on Mona. "Okay, Mona! Be on healing duty! Skull, Panther, be offensive. When it charges, everyone be defensive!" The orders worked out as we defeated the shadow with ease. "Amazing Joker! You're order giving was splendid!" The praise from Mona while he healed us with Panther made me smile. Panther and Skull agreed with him as my face begins to flush in embarrassment, "Let's go and find the treasure everyone!" With those words, we continue on.

Our route leads us to being above the room from before. I was afraid of falling 'cause of my heels and I kept turning around to make sure Panther doesn't fall. With a big leap, I was able to make it onto the platform. However, I began to lose my balance. Falling backwards, I began grasping in the air for dear life. Thankfully, someone took hold of my left hand. "I've got you, Joker!" It was Mona! Panther was holding him by his feet while Skull had his arms around her waist. They pull me up with ease, probably because of my weight being in early 40kgs, as I began hyperventilating. "Thank you guys! And sorry, I really need to get used to stilettos…" They accepted it while jumping themselves and I follow. Panther helped me as I do the same. "Ooh! A chest!" the femme fatale pointed out as we walked up to it. Opening it, a foul smell poured out. It's a piece of grimy gear, "Oh god that stinks! Wait, isn't there a laundromat near Leblanc? Let's go when we have time!" Nodding at Mona, he takes it and places it into his infinite pouch.

Following the map we got from the… shrine room? What am I supposed to call it? I don't want to call it the 'Shiho Room' because that's just fucked up so I'm gonna call it the shrine room. Anyway, following the map lead us to the roof. Powerful shadows were on the prowl and a door on the other side. I take the lead and signalled them to follow once the coast was clear. Shit, I can't dodge this shadow. Okay, "Show me your true form, bitch!" Jumping from my crouching position, I land on the shadow's back and ripped off the mask on it. Two Beriths appear as I summon Silky to cast Bufu on them. Thank god, I already got a Berith so I know the weakness. "No holding back!" Calling out, the four of us go into an All-Out Attack. Easy experience. Oh my god, another shadow? Well, "I'll reveal your true form!" tearing the mask off, another Berith appears with a naked dude with an owl head and wings. What the actual fuck… "Ravage them, Silky!" Bufu appeared with the Berith as it goes down. Okay… who should I pass the baton to? Ah! "Skull! Leaving it to you!" We high five, officially passing my turn to him as he begins to shoot the owl man. Wait, it's weak to it? I'll take it! Nodding at him,"Alright! Time for some pain!" Skull calls out as we go into All-Out Attack. At the end, he falls on his face and stands up. "That's all she wrote!" Skull pulls the rock sign, giving him some cool points in my book. My face heats up but I just shake it off and walk up to the door.

Crap! It's locked. Hold on… "I see it…" I enter the zone, activating my third eye. They look at me weird but I continue to observe. Aha! "Skull, Panther! I need a leg up! I ask, pointing up onto a ledge as they look at each other. With both of their shrugs, they help me up as I pull Panther up, the two of us pull Skull up while Mona jumps and I catch him. Travelling up this way, we ended up hugging the outer wall of the tower. All the while, Mona is just resting on my head. I try not to look down as I'm afraid of heights but I would stop for a bit to breathe. Stopping at the windowsill, I ask if we could takt a small break as we do. "You okay?" Panther asks as I nod, "Yeah, just afraid of heights. I'll be fine if this is the last time we do that…" I groan and stand up. Okay, not leaving until we steal the treasure. Traversing through the tower, we can see that the distortions are getting out of whack. Mona said it's because we're getting closer to the treasure. Thank, Jesus! There were more shadows but they weren't all that tough. However, we found a bridge that has FUCKING SWINGING AXES. My god, this guy's insane. "How are we supposed to get across that?" While those three are discussing, I activate my third eye. Blue figures are shown running to a Kamoshida statue, placing two items in the eyes. They look like it's supposed to be eyes. I inform the others about this as we go and look for the keys. Now there are high-ranking guards around and we try to attack them. After a long time, we managed to find both the right and left eyes. I place them in which stops the axes swinging and we walk across the bridge.

Getting closer to the treasure, we were stopped by another high-ranking guard. Why do we have to fight this? Why am I complaining? Because the shadow is shaped as a dick. It keeps looking at both Ann and I which lead us to be guarding. "Mona, Skull, I don't want that thing killing Ann and I, you need to be the main attackers." Nodding at my orders, they began attacking with physical attacks since it resists magic. "... too late for regrets!" Mona calls out while attack with his sword and fired his slingshot. "Mona, give us the call!" "Time for some bloodshed!" Initiating the All-Out Attack, a chair drops down with Mona in it with him holding a wine glass. "Cleanup complete!" Yes! A safe room! More walking and dodging Kamoshida in his throne room with archways of girls legs (gross) took us to a room filled with gold and a floating hazy object. "Whoa! What is this place?! Holy shit! This has gotta be where the treasure is!" It's gotta be, this is the treasure room on the map. "Hey, what's this hazy-looking thing? It's floating…" Panther starts to awe at the hazy thing. "Looks like a fart cloud from the holiest fatass ever…" The others look at me weird but Mona's reaction takes the cake, "Really? That's what comes to your mind? Anyway, that's the treasure. We found it." The amphomorphic cat jumps on a chalice on the ground.

"Now, how do steal it? I can't touch it," Skull starts grasping at the thing. "That won't work, Skull. Let me explain," Morgana started clearing his throat, "Ok, I wanted to elaborate on us stealing the treasure once we made it. Simply finding it isn't enough. We need it to be materialized so we can steal it." 'Materialized'? He needs to elaborate on it, "Whaddya mean?" Okay, thanks Skull for asking the question in my head. "Desires have no physical form by nature. Hence, we'll first need to make the real person that their desires an in fact a treasure. Once they are conscious that their desires might be stolen, the treasure will finally show itself." I put my chin on hand, "Now I get it. It's a shift in cognition, right?" "Yes! You're very sharp, Joker. Even though your mind is out there…" Mona, that's what you call, 'thinking outside of the box'. "Now… how do we do that?" Let's just hope Mona knows how to or else this was a waste of time. Well, not really. We got to kick some ass. "We warn them. Tell them, _'We're here to steal your heart!'_" Ooh! That's badass! "So we're gonna send a calling calling card? That's totally what a phantom thief would do!" All I could do was laugh my ass off, "Hah! Surprised you know what phantom thieves do but not actually know what they are!" "S-Shuddup!". More giggling, "Heh, I'm just kidding. Can you continue please, Mona?"

"Once we do that, the treasure will appear for certain!... I think…" Of course. "This again…? Either way, sounds like it's worth givin' it a shot!" I actually agree with Skull, "Our infiltration route is secure. All that's left is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the treasure!" Wait, we have to come back here? Then again, we found a safe room. "This is it, huh?" Panther's expression shows both relief and worry and I take her hand, "We'll win, Panther. For Shiho, for the volleyball team, and for us!" With an affirmative nod, we smile and giggle at the same time. "Yeah, we will." Yeah, she will be one of my bestest friends. "Once we send the calling card, there's no turning back. Just let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send the calling card!" And with Mona's words, we leave the MetaVerse.

"Hey, Akano?" Turning around, I see Ann. "What's up Ann?" I ask, tilting me head as she yawns. Don't blame her, we just got out of the castle and I'm tired myself. "I'm planning on going to visit Shiho tomorrow after school, want to tag along?" "Shiho? Of course! I want to give her new flowers!" We exchange smiles and walk off. "Morgana, we're gonna have a talk about the calling card tomorrow before Ann and I see Shiho, 'kay?" I say as he replies with, "Sure." With that, we make our way to Leblanc. Sojiro eyes me but I ignore it and walk upstairs to write inside that stupid journal. Akari was on her futon, dead asleep, which made me smile while going to grab my journal. I think I could get used to writing in this every few days and Kenny needs to just suck up his pride and allow it.

_4/21_

_Ryuji, Ann and I got a whole lot closer. I feel like I can really see us being close friends. School's going okay, actually Ryuji and Ann are the only ones who talk to me like a normal person. But I'm still the little smartass that never left. Now, I'm tired. Go fuck yourself, Kenny. Bye._

"I'm closing up! Help me out, kid!" Ugh! Fine. "Morgana, stay up here. The old man needs me to help him out."

This guy had me wipe this table while smokes. Well, he did wipe his counter and prep curry for tomorrow so I can't blame him. But the smell of cigarettes is the worst. "Hey, Sojiro. I'm gonna be late tomorrow cuz I'm going to the hospital after school. Can I have the keys so you don't have to wait here?" I ask as he sighs and throws me the key. "I made a copy for you. You're a teenager with friends so it's only natural you would stay late. Just after tomorrow, you can only stay in Yongen, am I clear?" "Yes, sir." Finishing up, I walk upstairs and change into my nightie.

4/22

Lunch came around and I messaged the others to meet at the hideout for lunch. Ann and I arrived first and then Ryuji. "What are we gonna do about the calling card?" I ask, opening up my container to have the stolen curry I took when Sojiro left. "Hold on. Before we start with that, I need to explain the function of the calling cards." Morgana climbs and sits next to me. "First, if we plan to send a calling card, we only have 24 hours before the treasure dematerializes. I want to make this very clear. Sending a calling card is this crucial, because this leads to the other point. We can only send a calling card to one person ONCE. In other words, we only have 24 hours to steal it or else we won't be able to do so." So we only have one chance. "Okay, we know the consequences. I say it should be written today and sent tomorrow. Do you all agree?" Ann put out as the rest of us nod, "Oh! Can I write it?" putting his hand up like a child, Ryuji looks at us as we sigh. "Should we?" I look at Ann as she shrugs and Morgana stated he didn't care who did it. "Fine…" Ryuji does a mini celebration at my words, "Just don't make it obvious it was you, okay?" but was shot down by Ann's words but we all just laughed it off and continued eating. "Hey, you still up for visiting Shiho?" Ann asked while eating from her bento box. "Yeah, can we stop by the underground mall first? I want to get some flowers for her." "Sure! I want to find some flowers too!" Giggling we continue to gossip while the boys just look on. Occasionally, we'd hear, "Are we even allowed to hear this girl talk?" or "Those two are in their own worlds".

~Timeskip~

The bell rings as Ann and I make our way out of the school while Morgana begins to nap in my bag. Students begin to look at us weirdly.

"Woah! The school whore and the criminal getting along?"

"I had a feeling Takamaki~San would be friends with Kurusu-San…"

"You think those two are easy?"

"Hell nah! Kurusu~San might hurt us if we mess with either of them!"

Tch! Assholes. Even Ann's disgusted by it.

"So Kamoshida's bitches are together…"

That's it! I try to go and find the fucker who said that we were Dog Shit's bitches but Ann held me back. "Look, it will soon come back to bite them in the end. Won't it be more satisfying to see it unfold like the plot of a story?" She's right. If they think I'm that bitch's bitch, they will regret it when it comes to bite them in the ass. I calm down as we kept on walking to the station. "Thanks Ann… if I was by myself, I don't know what I would've done…" I expected her to feel awkward about it but she gave a big smile and took hold of my hand. "I'll always be here for you Akano. You helped not only me but also Shiho and you don't know how thankful I am. I hope you know that…" That… sounds like what Nicole would say. The train finally arrives as we start talking about the most random stuff. "Say, Ann? You know how you want to know what happened between Ryuji and I?" Ann slowly nods after I ask this question. I kinda regret bringing it up, but I don't want to hide anything from her. Especially if the cat knows.

I tell her what happened with a red face. At the end, she giggled at how it ended and I don't blame her. It was cringey. "Say Akano, do you like Ryuji?" Her laughter subsided, looking at me with anticipation. That question just lead me to think, 'Do I like him?' "I… I don't know… yeah he's cute and stuff but we just met and stuff. It's only been a few days, ya know?" She seemed to respect that answer with a brand new smile. The two of us just kept talking until Morgana woke up and joined into the conversation. Talking lead to another as we were in front of the flower shop. Don't know how that happened but as long as I don't end up in a freaky basement, I'm all good. I ended up picking up a bouquet of red, pink and yellow orchids while Ann chose a single potted oak leaf geranium. She just thought it was pretty then asked me about it and I told her that an oak leaf geranium meant true friendship so she just went for it. With that, we took the train to the hospital.

Inside the hospital, Room 5-S

Shiho was lying peacefully on her bed with Ann and I on opposite sides of her. "... should I really be here? Shiho barely knows me and is it even okay for me to call her Shiho?" I look down with tears in my eyes. This is making me think back to when I was in the hospital and how horrible it was. Especially after going through physical rehab where it took so long to even start walking properly and the pain I endured after falling a lot of times. "Akano…" the blonde girl muttered until she raises her head, "Do you know what Shiho said to me, before she went unconscious? She said, 'Tell Akano, I'm sorry. She tried to help me but I shoved her down the stairs. Please Ann!'. If she wanted to be able to say that before she lost consciousness, it means she was sincere. She even called you, 'Akano' which is rare because she only calls people by last name except for me. I think she wants you here," that lead me to unleash all my tears. Thank you Ann, I needed that.

Rank 2= Girl Talk~ Chance to step in after shadow negotiation fails, allowing a retry

Wiping away my tears, I take hold of Shiho's hand on my side. In my shaky voice, "Shiho, i-if you can hear m-me… we're going to ch-change Kamoshida's h-heart!" my voice gets less shaky now, "Please have faith in us! Please b-believe in us!" Ann took hold of her other hand and began lightly sobbing into it.

_"I believe in you… please… win…!"_

Huh? That… sounded like Shiho… I guess Ann heard it too cuz she looked over at Shiho in shock. However, her face was the same. No matter how long we stared at her face, nothing happened. It can't be possible, can it?

**I hope you guys enjoyed it! One thing for you writers out there, the worst thing to encounter is writer's block. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Anyway, I'm sleep deprived from binge watching random shit from my childhood and gonna continue doing so. Have a good day!**


	23. Akano Kurusu Profile!

**Akano Kurusu**

"_I just… need to find out who I am… then I can think about 'love' and 'my future'..."_

-Akano Kurusu, Persona 5

**Also known as:**

Aka~Tan (by Ryuji)

Lady Akano (by Morgana)

Joker (Codename)

Onee~Chan (by Akari)

My Lady (by Yusuke)

My Princess (by Akechi)

Aka (by Makoto)

Kano (by Akiro)

Darling (by Mother)

Inmate (by Caroline & Justine)

Prisoner

Red Head

My little guinea pig (by Tae Takemi)

Trickster

Leader

Reina Amamiya (Prototype name before Akano Kurusu was selected)

**Japanese Name: **

くるす あかの

來栖 赤野

(Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not an expert)

**Romaji:**

Shujinkō

Jōkā

Shujin

Rīdā

Torikkusutā

Kurusu Akano

Amamiya Reina (Prototype name before Akano Kurusu was selected)

**Affiliation:** Phantom Thieves of Hearts

**Date of Birth: **6/11/1999

**Age: ** 16-17

**Zodiac: ** Gemini

**Height: ** 155cm (5'0")

**Blood Type: ** O

**Melee Weapon: ** Knives

**Ranged Weapon:** Pistols

**Arcana: ** The Fool

**Persona:**

Jeanne

Jeanne (Upgrade)

Satanael

Comtesse de la Motte (P5R)

**Theme:**

Invitation to Freedom (Taku Takahashi Remix)

Cinematic Tale (tofubeats Remix)

**Japanese VA:** Asami Sanada

**English VA: ** Michelle Rojas

**Appearances:**

.Persona 5/Royal-Playable Character; Protagonist

.Persona 5 (Manga); Protagonist

.Persona 5 Mementos Mission; Protagonist

.Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers; Protagonist

.Persona 5 The Animation; Protagonist

.Persona 5 The Stage

.Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight; Protagonist

.Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight; DLC Partner

.Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers

.Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth; Protagonist

.Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Roundabout Special; Main Character

.Night of the Phantom; Protagonist as The Phantom

**Design:**

Akano has dark grey eyes with long, dyed red hair tied into a half ponytail by a black ribbon that, by the words of Ann, is very soft and silky (After a certain date, she wears the ribbon around her neck). Ever since 4/16, Akano's hair go from waist-length to shoulder length because of story reasons but it is shown to grow fast, as by the time of the beach scene, her hair is up to above her elbows. Before the events of Persona 5, her hair was black that she braids and ties with an elastic band. After Sae's Palace, she dyes her hair back to black since it's much easier to maintain during this time. However, she bleaches her hair yet again after Shido's Palace then dyes it to red afterwards. Something that's a constant is her glasses. Unlike the male protagonist, Akano's eye sight is slightly worse. She uses them for reading but would wear them everywhere for the same reason as her male counterpart. Of course, she doesn't need them to walk around. Another constant is her wearing a necklace with a magatama with a pearl on each side. She wears it with her winter school uniform but it's underneath the turtleneck. She starts wearing it after her birthday.

Her winter school uniform is worn normally but with the blazer, the top bottom isn't buttoned up because of it blazer being a little too small while also wearing black pantyhose underneath her skirt. For shoes, she wears black ankle boots.

Her summer uniform however, Akano wears a light hoodie on top of the summer shirt as it is too small for her chest and would show too much cleavage. This is shown from the ride to Futaba's Palace. She also doesn't wear the black pantyhose and instead wears red ankle socks while wearing brown loafers.

On days of during winter, Akano wears an oversized dark blue sweater dress that exposes her left shoulder and left bra strap. On her neck is a white scarf. As for pants, she wears white high-waisted ripped jeans and on her feet are a pair of brown ankle boots with heels.

On days off during summer, Akano wears a white off-shoulder crop top with 'STFU' on it. Under it is a black singlet and a pair of light brown high-waisted skorts. She also wears a pair of dark blue jelly sandals that can be tied up.

She has two sleepwears depending on the season. In winter, she wears a long sleeved pink and blue ombre nightie with a white Peter Pan collar and it ends at her knees that has lace on the cuts. In the summer she wears a light blue lace spaghetti strap singlet with pastel pink accents and a matching pair of light blue lace shorts with pastel pink accents.

Her phantom thief outfit is a feminine version of her male counterpart. She wears a red off-shoulder, sweetheart cut-out blouse with long sleeves and a black corset with yellow buttons around her waist to replace the male protagonist's high-necked waistcoat. Replacing Akira's/Ren's tailcoat is a high-necked clip cape with three cuts in it. The pants are replaced by a black pleated skirt with a knife and gun pouch on her right leg. Her shoes are thigh-high blueish gray boots with leather patches on her knees and 5-inch heels. To touch it up, her ribbon is still there. After a certain date, the ribbon in her hair moves from her hair to around her neck, tied into a bow. Her blouse also changes to have a side view of a lotus flower design.

Akano's swimsuit is a dark blue monokini with star designs and black sandals. Over her swimsuit is a white lace cover up. Her hair is also tied back into a small ponytail. On her head is a pair of gold-framed glasses with purple lenses.

The cognitive being in Kamoshida's Palace is her in a Playboy Bunny suit with a collar and tie around her neck with bunny ears on her head and a cotton ball on her ass to resemble a bunny's tail. Her legs are covered with black translucent pantyhose and black 7-inch heels.

In Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, Akano's hair is changed to black hair with red tips with a thick red ribbon tied in a bow as a headband. She has a red crop top with black straps that tie at the back while having the Shujin Academy blazer unbuttoned and cuffed sleeves at her elbows. The Shujin Academy skirt is worn high-waisted as she has a pair of shorts underneath. For shoes, she has knee-high black boot wedges with pink and white striped thigh-high socks. Lastly, around her neck is the ribbon and her necklace.

**Personality:**

"_Ann, you really need to let it all out. If not, you will be stressed and... might take it out on someone innocent. I know I may be a stranger to you but, I'm asking this as a concerned classmate. If you need a person to vent to, I don't mind being that person. I also vow to keep things between the two of us unless the situation changes. You know what I mean."_

-Akano Kurusu to Ann Takamako

Akano is very sarcastic and cold most of the time but this is just a facade. In reality, she is very shy but wants to be more confident while being a kind and caring person. (However, there are some scenes before her facade fades where she will drop it and take it seriously) This comes from her past when she lost her close friend, whom she was dependant on for most of her life. Not only that, she had to go to Japan and leave her aunt and uncle who were more of a parental figures than her actual parents. She didn't have much friends ever since moving to Japan and the culture shock of it all lead her into a deep depression and lead to her having a suicide attempt. Afterwards, her whole personality changed. This was when her facade began. Especially since she changed schools She also made a new friend, Akiro Saito, who saw right through her. He and her little sister, Akari Kurusu, are the only ones who noticed which lead to him being an older brother figure to the two girls. During this time, Akano tries to rebuild herself and ended up becoming the Treasurer of her Student Council. Everything was going well until a certain event that began Persona 5.

During Persona 5, we can see times where Akano's facade breaks down, showing the true her. However after a certain date, her facade begins to fade away. By the end of Okumura's Palace, her facade is completely gone as she tries to build up confidence with the help of Ann and Akiro. Her reaction to Shiho's attempt was horror as she knows what Shiho sees and know how broken someone should be to go that far. Because of this, Akano used to be disgusted by Makoto when she meets her because of Makoto saying that Shiho's suicide attempt to the point that she slaps her. However after hearing Makoto's story, Akano starts to open up to her. She starts calling her Mako and Makoto calls her Aka. When it comes to male party members, Morgana has the typical pet relationship with Akano and it shows at times that they are close by having Morgana being on her head in his MetaVerse form and on her shoulders in the real world.

With Ryuji when things aren't serious, the two poke fun at each other, being best buds. But when things do get serious, the two show how deeply they care for each other. Further down the line, it begins more evident that Ryuji has intimate feelings for Akano. Are the feelings mutual? You will have to find out for yourself…

With Yusuke, at first he finds her enticing because of her bright red hair contrasting with Ann's hair and eye color. After his awakening and seeing Akano's phantom thief outfit, he begins to want to paint her. Mainly a nude painting but Akano would always refuse. After fighting Shadow Madarame, he begins to see her differently and start calling her, 'My Lady'.

Lastly, Akechi. At first, Akano didn't like him because of him saying that the phantom thieves aren't just. At the same time however, she also blushes around him especially if he does a certain action towards her. After a certain date, Akano gets to see the real Akechi and starts warming up to him. At the same time, Akechi begins to call her 'My Princess' with her blushing too.

**Profile:**

*SPOILERS*

**Etymology:**

Akano Kurusu (來栖 赤野) 來 means 'future' and 栖 means 'nest'. 赤 means 'scarlet' or 'red'. 野 is just apart of the alphabet. (Please correct me, I want to learn Japanese properly)

The last name is for the same reason why they called Joker that in the manga while Akano is for another reason. With 赤 (aka) meaning 'scarlet' or 'red' is a call back to the color of the game being red. It also comes into play that I based her design off the red joker in a playing card deck with the red hair she has and her phantom thief outfit being more red than male Joker. I just thought it was fitting.

**Trivia:**

.Akano's design is based on the red joker from the playing card deck.

.This comes to play with her code name being Joker. Her design is based off of a joker along with jokers being Wild Cards and Trump Cards in certain card games and jokers being tied to the Fool Arcana

.The black ribbon found in Akano's hair has symbolism. Not only is from Nicole, but the color also means something. Black is associated with fear, strength, mystery, grief and much more which are things that can be associated with both Akano and Nicole. Them both having it in their hair, has symbolism in itself. Hair is symbolized as a link to the spiritual world. The longer the hair, the stronger the connection is. This is connected to Nicole's family bloodline and Akano being connected to her. Now the reason why Akano has the ribbon on her neck is because of chakras. Akano's talent is her voice which comes from the throat chakra. The voice box is located in the neck too, reassuring this. This shows that Akano is having her own sense of identity by having the ribbon tied around. This makes the meaning solely being strength, making the whole meaning her throat chakra/voice is the strongest.

.The magatama on the necklace Akano wears was a gift from Nicole's family, hinting what her family is

.The pearls on the necklace symbolize purity, generosity and loyalty to the wearer

.Akano's Japanese voice actress, Asami Sanada, is known for her roles as Kurumi Tokisaki from Date a Live, Reisuke Houjou from Mirai Nikki, Rain VIII from the Fate series and many more.

.Akano's English voice actress, Michelle Rojas, is known for her roles as Tohka Yatogami from Date a Live, Mini from Fairy Tale, Shima Nishina from Kiss Him, Not Me and many more

.The way Akano summons her Persona is a call back to Metis from Persona 3 FES: The Answer


	24. Chapter 20 - Our Debut

**Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Now, I have some news that I will mention at the end so that you guys can get onto this chapter. So as you guys read, imma eat my mochi. Here we go!**

Tomorrow's the day. I need some infiltration tools… "Morgana, can you teach me how to make infiltration tools?" With a nod, he told me to clear the desk. I followed each of his steps, writing it down afterwards so I can remember. "What are you doing, Onee~Chan?" Akari peered over my shoulder, "Lockpicks, planning on using these in case I lock myself out of the cafe and you're already asleep." She then proceeded to look at the way I'm making them, keeping mental notes about it. After finishing my first one, she went to bed as I made two more before changing out of my uniform and into my nightie. My phone then began to buzz, it's Ann.

An- Hey, ready for tomorrow?

A- Yeah, you?

An- I'm still trying to understand it all…

A- Only natural, you're the earliest member. Then again, Ryuji's still trying to understand…

An- Heh, true. You think we stand a chance?

A- We can only hope… hey, can I tell you something? It's something I've been hiding from you and Ryuji. What I ask is don't tell him… please?

An- Sure, what's up?

**(A/N= I never put this into the story because I wanted to do this reveal. I hope you're okay with it)**

A- I've been having… nightmares…

An- Nightmares?

A- Yeah… of Dog Shit and Shiho…

An- What are they about?

A- The Shiho ones, my nightmares are of me seeing through her eyes. The Dog Shit ones… is of me…

An- Yes…?

_I walk into the PE Faculty office to see Kamoshida, turning his view to me. Tomorrow's the last day, I can't let Ryuji and Mishima get expelled… "Ah! Kurusu~San! What may you be here for?" He licked his lips, sending shivers down my spine. "I… came to accept… your offer…" Muttering as he walked up to me. "Good girl… now just, relax…" He started to lick my neck as I squirm. He then made his way to my sensitive spot, my ears, and began sucking on them, moans escaping my mouth all the while. Hours passed, he just… *SNAP* Huh? "You really think I was going to let you and your little friends off if you do this once? Come whenever I tell you or else I'll send this everywhere!" No… _

An- Are you serious? Akano~Chan…

A- I'm scared…

An- To be honest, I've been having the same… not the Shiho ones, but the Kamoshida ones…ever since the day you talked to me about it

A- How did you recover?

An- I didn't…

A- Ann…

An- Right now, we have each other. You're not alone

A- … thank you, Ann!

An- We WILL change Kamoshida's heart!

A- You're right. Thank you, Ann.

An- No problem. And don't worry, this is a secret between girls!

A- You okay with Morgana knowing? He's reading over my shoulder…

An- Meh, kinda figured. Anyway, night!

A- Night!

4/23

Ann and I caught up with each other as we began walking into school. There was a group of people surrounding the bulletin board. Shrugging, we walked up to it. There was a bunch of red cards pasted on there.

An- Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust…

A- We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back.

An- That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins.

A- This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you're ready. From, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Wow, it sucks. I guess Ann had the same idea. I spot Ryuji as we headed towards him. "Well, what you think?" He asked with a toothy grin. "Well, I knew what you were going to say but… it sounds like a kid trying to be an adult…" I nod at Ann's statement making Ryuji defensive. "The only good thing is that you used magazine cut outs instead of your handwriting…" "Yeah, like that makes me feel better!" Heh, hot-headed as ever, Ryuji.

"Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong…?"

"Does this mean the rumors are true!?"

"Wait a sec… is someone gonna take something from Mr. Kamoshida?"

"What's with this weird logo?"

"And who're these 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts' people…?"

"... It got everyone here excited so… it's good!" Just then, Kamoshida walked into the scene. I leaned onto the wall and took out some pocky, planning on enjoying the scene unfold. "Who's responsible for this…!?" "Look at that… a predictable reaction from someone who knows what we mean by 'distorted desires'." Kinda looks pitiful, hah! "I think it's hittin' him pretty hard." Agreed, Ryuji. "Did you do this!? Or was it you!?" His eyes then landed on the three of us, "Was it you two!?" Really? Don't suspect Ann after everything you've done to her? "The fuck you talking about, old man?" I bit onto my pocky with a smirk on my face, "I'd watch that mouth if I was you, bitch." Try me. "*sigh* I don't care anyway. You two are still getting expelled. Unless, you wanna take me up on that offer, Akano?" He lift my chin with his finger. The nightmares came back all at once but I just kept a monotone look while Ryuji looked physically angry. "Over. My. Dead. Body. Pedo." My statement made him chuckle, break the pocky in my mouth, eat it, and turn around. All of a sudden, the world around us turn black. Kamoshida dawned his Shadow form and turned back to us.

_"Come… steal it, if you can!"_

**_Security Level: 99%_**

And with that, Dog Shit left. "Judging by that reaction, I'm sure we had an impact on his Palace!" So you were right, Mona… "Does that mean the treasure's appeared!? We'll be able to get it today, right?" "It's not just today… it's ONLY today. The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long, and it cannot be repeated." I'm already ready. "This is it guys, no turning back." I put my hand in followed my Ann, then Ryuji, and Morgana lept on my arm to put his paw on top. "Okay guys! The curtain is about to rise, we will steal the treasure!" "Yay!" We cheered as all of our hands, and paw, raised into the air. We need a better chant…

~Timeskip~

School's over, time to steal his heart! Ann and I walked to where Ryuji was with Morgana in my bag. We went straight to the alley way and activated the app. We were able to teleport to the the latest safe room, which thankfully was the one in the tower so we don't have to hug the wall again. The throne room was surprisingly empty, Kamoshida wasn't in there. Weird, a place that has 99% security doesn't have security in the throne room, the room that leads to the treasure room. I guess Mona had the same feeling since he was backing up while aiming his slingshot there. I did the same with my pistol, allowing Skull and Panther go up ahead. "It seems clear for now, Joker. C'mon, let's rush in there!" Yeah. Morgana jumped on head as I rushed into the treasure room. "Holy shit…" The treasure, really is this thing? His treasure's a crown!? "Kinda pisses me of…" I hear ya, Panther. I hear ya. "Hey, Mona. Is this thing really the treasure?" Skull asks while turning around. "Huh? Where's Mona?" In concern, Panther and I turned around and saw that he wasn't there.

"MRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!"

Excuse me? We all turn around to see Mona on the crown, eyes having stars in them. "What are you doing you stupid cat?"

"MRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!"

What the fuck, Mona? "Mona, that's not catnip!" I yell as he turns his head and we see his face. His eyes were replaced with four point stars and his mouth was watering. Holy shit, it's cat on crown action! (Kubz Scouts reference!)

"MRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!"

"MONA!" The three of us yelled at the same time which made him snap out of it. "Huh? O-Oh… please forgive me, for I have done indecent actions in front of ladies…" he jumped down as I open my arms for him to jump in as he does. "What was that about, Mona?" I asked him as he explains that he must be attracted to human desires. Huh, so it was cat on crown action. "Anyway, how are we gonna carry that without getting caught?" Panther asked as Mona told us to carry it together. Oh hell no. My arms are noodles! Reluctantly, the three of us lifted it. As expected, my arms begin to get shaky so I lift with my back instead. "To think it'd go so well… I've even found three persona users in the process… my judgement was correct. I made the right choice in making a deal with you! Nyahaha!"

Rank 2= Baton Pass: Allows you to pass your turn over to other Baton Pass users after a 1 More.

We left the treasure room and as we were leaving the throne room…

"Go, go! Let's go!"

"Ka-mo-shida!"

Oh no. Just then, a volleyball came out of nowhere as it knocked the crown out of our hands. It suddenly went small, only for us to see Shadow Dog Shit and the cognitive versions of Ann and I hugging him. Made me disgusted. "I won't let anyone take this! This proves that I am the king of this castle! - it's the core of this world!" Still full of himself, huh? Well, it wouldn't be a boss if he wasn't. "That rat bastard! That's how he sees us, right Joker?" "Yeah, it's pissing me off just seeing them. You know what? Persona! Jack o' Lantern!" I called out after what Ann said as it burned the fake me away. I go and aim for fake Ann but Shadow Kamoshida guarded her. Shit. Wait what? Another fake me appeared behind Shadow Dog Shit. Dammit! "Yo, pervert. Were you waiting to ambush us?" Wouldn't be surprised, Skull. "I just made it easier for me to find you. I'll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now." His smirk just pisses me off, it's making me more fired up to beat the shit out of him! "That's our line, you sexually-harassin' D-bag!" "What a selfish misunderstanding…" What…? "How is it a misunderstanding!? You were doing things in secret from others!"

That's what I want to know! "The people around me were the ones who kept it a secret. They willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it." You've got to be kidding me, he's making up shitty excuses?! "There are too many imbeciles who don't understand that! Including naive brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself!" How dare you… how dare you say that about Shiho!? "True, she's a total idiot… letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide… and I'm even more of a dumbass for not realizing it! No matter how much of a fool someone may be… they don't need your permission to live their lives!" Ann… "Drop the attitude, you mediocre peasant! There's no wrong in using my gifts for my gain! I'm a cut above other humans!" Psh, you wish. "Above…? You mean beneath! You're just a goddamn demon obsessed with with your sick desires!"

**"That's right! I am a demon, WHO RULES THIS WORLD!?"**

Shadow Kamoshida grasped onto the fake Ann and me as they transmogrified into a disgusting fiend. Color was a bright pink and purple because of its long tongue. With four arms holding one object in each hand. One was a glass of red wine with the fake Ann and me swirling in it, one held a golden knife, one held a golden fork and the last one held a whip. At his sides were minions chained down with a cup full of legs in front of him. On his head was a pair of horns and the treasure, glistening all the while. Drool flowed out of his mouth and dripped from his tongue. Shadow Kamoshida was no more. The Lord of Lust, Asmodeus has taken control. "Guys! Get back!" I yell as we jump back. I mainly just called us back so we wouldn't get drool. "Okay guys, let's do this! Persona!" My newly fused Persona, Andras, appeared as I used Rakunda to lower his defense. Skull raised his attack as Panther and Mona went in with an Agi and Garu respectively. "That hurt!?" Huh? I turn to see the last round of the slaves, hitting Panther. Shit, she's low on health! "Panther, focus on support. Mona, if she needs help, you know what to do! Skull, you and me focus on damage dealing!" With all three nods, we focused on that battle plan.

"So divine…!" With his fork, he used it to get a pair of legs and eat them. Okay first, ew. And second, did this motherfucker heal himself? "Joker, we need to stop him from healing. I'm sensing that we can attack the cup, it's wise that we do so." Okay, Mona. "Skull, let's go all out on the cup! Panther, Mona, if there is no need for support, do the same!" It took a while but now that damn cup is gone. "No way... This was from when I won the national... You think you can get away with doing such a thing? Do you realize who I am!? ...I am Kamoshida! Don't you get it!?" Does this guy really think we care? "So what? You're still dog shit in my eyes!" I smirk as he just gets angrier, "How dare you say that to me!? I'm a king! THE KING!?" "Okay guys, no holding back!" We all go for an All-Out Attack and it did some damage. We did the basic support moves but even those didn't do much. "Joker, Skull!" Panther called us to behind a pillar where she and Mona were there. "We aren't doing much, even with his defense lowered and Skull's attack up… what should we do?" We all began thinking as a lightbulb seemed to light up in Ryuji's head, "How about we go for that crown?" that's… actually really smart.

"That could work. Joker, who should go up there to take the treasure?" Mona's words made me think. I doubt that he would let Panther or I out of his sights long enough to get it so it's down to Skull and Mona… "Skull, this could be your payback to that asshole. I would send Panther but knowing how he is with her, I can't risk it." They all seemed to agree with me as Panther and Mona went up and started attacking him. Just as Skull was about to go, I gripped onto his hand as his head turns to me. "Be careful… okay Ryuji?" That's the first time I called someone not by their codename since we got them… it was serious. "Heh, will do. I'll come back, don't worry, okay?" He planted his lips on my forehead, making a 'chu~' sound. Of course, that made my face red but I didn't care. I just nodded in determination as he leaves. With that, I go up to help the other two with distracting Kamoshida. ""How dare you keep defying me... Looks like I gotta being out the big guns! Slaves! Bring over you-know-what! Time for my killshot from when I was active and rockin' it! Killshot... as in I'll make the kill!" Just then, the slaves that were chained down were let loose, probably to get this 'killshot' he was talking about. I don't like it.

"Guys! Keep your guard up! Persona change, Obariyon!" I changed my persona to him, just in case the 'killshot' he was talking about was physical since he resists it. I was right! However, Ann and Morgana didn't look too good. "Persona change, Silky!" I healed Panther as she healed Morgana and he healed her. The dick hit me with his knife and fork which kept me attacking and the other two healing me. "Is there one less of you?" Shit… "I knew it… they're missing! Where'd they go!?" Wait, where even is Skull? "You took to long, asshole!" Out of nowhere, Skull came in and was able to knock the crown down. Nice! "No! My precious!?" Who are you, Gollum? "I think we can beat him now!" "Alright guys, full assault!" Debuffing his defense, we all attacked him as it was easier to beat him. After just two rounds, Asmodeus was defeated. Panther learned Tarunda which lowers enemies attack, Mona learned Media which heals the whole party and Skull learned Headbutt which deals medium physical damage with a chance of forget. Nice!

The crown rolled to us before shrinking down to normal size. Skull reached out for it but Dog Shit grabbed it and ran to the balcony. Realizing there's no way out, his face showed intense terror. "What's wrong? Not running away?" I put my hand on my hip, annoyed and pissed off. "Why don't you run? Aren't you a great athlete?" Panther continued while folding her arms. I guess our auras were harsh because Skull and Mona weren't near us at all. "It's always been like this… all those goddamn hyenas, forcing their expectations on me…! I'm doing this all for them! What's wrong with demanding a reward for that!?" Are you fucking serious!? "Quit spouting out bullshit! You're a gym teacher who won an Olympic medal, working at a prestigious school and is probably set for life when you retire. What the fuck are you talking about reward when you already have this you greedy son of a bitch?!" I shouted at him, making him more terrified. Out of my rage, my mask faded into blue flames as Jeanne appeared behind me. Her cross had red, black and white magic swirling around. "Scared? Right now, you're seeing the same view Shiho did. I'm sure she was scared too, but she had no choice but to jump. What will you do? Will you jump? Or would you rather die here?" Panther's mask did the same with Carmen appearing behind her, fire flaring in her hands.

"What do you two want to do? Out of the four of us, you two deserve this opportunity." That question made me hesitate a bit. Do I really deserve to kill him? Flashes of our encounters and the nightmares I endured for all the nights he gave me the deal. Anger took over my thoughts. "No wait! I beg you, just forgive me!" "You really think your words will stop us, you piece of shit!?" I started as Skull looks at me in shock, "Shut up! I bet others told you the same!" "But you… YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM THEM!?" Ann continued with the statement as we yelled from the top of our lungs the last part. At the same time, Jeanne thrusted her cross forward with an Eiha going for him and Carmen did the same with her hand but it releases and Agi. They both missed since he dodged the two attacks. "I… I accept defeat! You want this? Here!" He tosses the crown as Skull catches it, continuing to look at Panther and I. "Go on and finish me off… once you do, and my real self will go down. You have that right, since you've won…" Extending my arm out, I prepare to have Jeanne release Eiha but nothing happens.

_"Are you sure you want to do this, Akano?"_

Ghh…

_"You know what's right, Akano. You know what to do for *your* justice._

I know this voice. You're still with me, are you?

"I won't hurt him. No matter how much you've scarred me, my beliefs can't allow me to kill… no matter what they are…" Jeanne turned into flames and turned into my mask. "But that won't make me change another's decision…" Panther's hand clenched as she held it out. This time, Carmen releases an Agi heading towards Shadow Dog Shit. "Ann!" Skull called out asI fold my arms. She missed on purpose, right? "If his mind shuts down… he can't admit his crimes!" I knew it. "You're kind, Lady Ann, Lady Akano…" It ain't kindness, cat. It's allowing this motherfucker to repent. He gets on his knees, looking like he is asking for forgiveness. "I've lost… you're through, when you lose… what am I… what am I supposed to do now…?" Really? "What are you supposed to do? What are you supposed to do!?" I walked towards him and got to his level. Gripping onto his hair, I made him look directly into my eyes. "Go and turn yourself in you dumbass." Throwing his head to the floor, I stood up. His head rises, "Very well… I will leave now and return to my real self. I'll make certain that I…-" He got cut off by fading away and we start to hear the castle crumble. "Just so you know, we gotta get out of here. This place is gonna collapse." Huh? Why didn't you tell us earlier, Mona!? We all freaked out, excluding Mona as he was licking himself clean like an actual cat. "C'mon!" I shouted at them as I lead the way out. Crap, we're in a tower! "I see it…" Activating my third eye, I see a door lit up in blue. I open it to see a hallway with a painting of Dog Shit. Huh, why would he have a painting in an empty hallway? I push against it as it leads to the main hall.

"Eh, No fair you stupid cat!" Huh? I felt something on my shoulder. Oh, it's cat Morgana. "Grh… shit!" a loud thump followed it as I turn around and so did Ann. Oh fuck, Ryuji! "It's been a while so I just slipped is all!" Bullshit! I take his hand as we made our way out of the castle. "The destination is deleted." "It's true… we can't go there anymore…" Huh? Oh yeah… "Wait, where's the treasure Ryuji?" He begins digging in his pockets to pull out only a medal. Wait, a medal… "Where's that crown…?" My thoughts exactly, Ann… "That must be the source of Kamoshida's desires. To him, that medal has the same worth as that crown." So didn't let go of his past victory, huh? Wouldn't surprise me if that was that pussy's only victory… "Morgana, are Ryuji, Mishima and I safe from expulsion?" I asked as I hold him to my chest as I hear him groan. "Yeah… I think…" You've got to be fucking me, right? "You think!? Our expulsion's on the line here!?" "Calm down Ryuji and Lady Akano… yes, Suguru Kamoshida was a scum but him with his desires stolen, he must've changed.`Don't worry, the percentage of him being fine is higher than him being dead. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for now…" Okay…

_Cafe Leblanc, Evening…_

3rd Person POV

"I know you've been keeping an eye on me, right? Thank you…"

The young girl with short fiery red hair holds up a framed photo that has a tall girl with her blood hair tied back with a black ribbon hugging onto a young girl with black hair tied into two braids. Tear drops fall onto the glass of the framed photo.

"Thank you… big sis…!"

_"I will always be there for you… little sis…!"_

**And there we go! Now this chapter is one of my favorites to write because I could write more about what makes Akano and Akira/Ren different. I don't want them to be two identical characters, only having Akano be a chick and being able to romance the guys. I want her to have more of a character than just female Akira/Ren. I'm doing the same with Yui and my version of Minako and I hope you guys like this way! Also, I've been analysing Persona 5 Scramble vids and I still have zero clues about it except that the Akira/Ren is fused with Akechi and Shido to make a new character (look at him, his face is Shido, the hair style is Akechi and his hair is black like Akira/Ren) and that the made a reversed Joker? I have no idea and I'm hyped! What I hope is that YouTube doesn't recommend me spoilers...**

**Lastly, Persona 5 Female Protagonist Edition is going to be on hold. Why? Because, I want you guys to be involved in my fanfics and what's a good one is this one! I want you guys to name the Phantom Thieves! I have a poll but I will start showing it on February 1st after my current poll is finished. Here is the choices if you guys can't wait for it!**

Phantom Thieves of Hearts (ORIGINAL CANON)  
The Phantoms (GAME CANON)  
The Thieves Guild (MY NAME)  
Masquerade (MY SECOND CHOICE)  
Other (YOUR CHOICE)


	25. Goodbye

**Hey everyone! This is hard for me to write but it has to be done. I'm getting rid of this account. Why? Because, updating both this and my Wattpad account while doing life stuff is hard. I'll still have my Wattpad account but that's it. I hope you don't mind, I'm just sick of this stress. This will be posted on all my fanfics so that everyone has the news. In 24 hours, my account will be gone. Thanks for having me on here, have a lovely day. Bye**


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